The process for expanding Cortex capabilities is to create a new resource and add it to the resource layer or the integration layer. Even if you want to expand the functionality of an existing resource, you still create a new resource to do this.

Cortex's resource layer is built on an OSGi Framework, where each resource in the layer is a single OSGi bundle. The framework's flexibility allows new resource bundles to be added to Cortex without requiring extensive customizations to wire in the new resource.

Elastic Path provides a Maven Archetype to simplify the programmer's job for customizing Cortex.

• Creating a Resource Integration - Explains how to create a resource integration and swap it with another resource integration. The tutorial swaps out the existing assets resource integration and replaces it with the one you code in this tutorial
• Adding third party jars to Cortex API - Explains how to add third party jars as OSGi dependencies to Cortex.
• Integrating Cortex API with an alternate Identity Management System - Explains an overview of how you could swap out the out-of-the-box identity management integration resource and integrate a custom one.