An iTDS allows you to combine Maltego Transforms, Entities, and their configurations into a single item that can be distributed and installed by different Maltego users. This makes it easy to share custom Transforms and configurations amongst a team of analysts or, should you choose to, with the rest of the world by joining the Transform Hub. The iTDS is configured and managed using a web interface and allows you to configure Transforms in a single location, and they are automatically updated for anyone using them in their Maltego Desktop Client.
The pros and cons of TDS Transforms vs local Transforms are described below:
Pros
- Once set up, Transforms are easily distributed to multiple Maltego Desktop Clients.
- No configuration needed client-side, scripts all reside in one place.
- Updating instantly impacts all Clients.
- Deeper into the protocol (Slider value + Transform settings/Popups)
Cons
- Cannot integrate with applications local to the Maltego Desktop Client.
- All requests come from a single point this (may impact things like rate limiting APIs etc).
- A server infrastructure setup is required.
Public vs. internal (i)TDS
The public TDS is located on the Internet and is free for all to use. It is a convenient way to immediately start writing remote Transforms. Since this server is located on Maltego's Paterva infrastructure, data will be flowing from the Maltego GUI to this server and finally to your Transform code hosted on a web server of your choice.
For those dealing with sensitive internal data which cannot pass over the Internet or over Maltego's Paterva infrastructure, we offer a private iTDS. The iTDS provides the same functionality as Maltego's public TDS, however it can be hosted internally on your own infrastructure.
The Public TDS interface can be reached here.