Savane is composed of a database, a web frontend and a system backend.

The web frontend is the user interface, run by a webserver with PHP. All users modifications in the database are made via this frontend. It permits them to submit items (bugs, task...), modify items, change their preferences, etc.

The system backend is mainly used by cronjob, or by site administrators via a shell. It is written in Perl, composed of Perl Scripts and Perl Modules. It's purpose is to synchronize the system(s) and the database. For instance if you provide to projects a download area, the backend will, on the system that host this area: create a unix group ; create unix users account associated with the group for any member of the group ; create a directory for each group at the configured location ; associate these area to the appropriate group.