There are ports and serializer that require native extensions.  
A native extension is required if a port, a serializer or any other impulse extension need:

• external applications to be called from a serializer or port,
• external libraries in binary format to be linked to,
• external libraries in source format (c/c++) to be integrated.

 
The external applications/libraries/sources may be part of an impulse deployment (plug-in) or a requirement that need to be downloaded from external sites and installed.
Native extension usually support the following platforms:

• Linux x-86 32bit
• Linux x-86 64bit
• Windows x-86 32bit
• Windows x-86 64bit
• OsX x-86 32bit
• OsX x-86 64bit

Additional platforms may be supported if users re-configure and re-compile a given native extension.
 

External applications for serializers can be configured using the serializers preference page.  
In case of ports you will find a specific native extension preference page (impulse->Native Extensions).
 

To embed the functionality of the external libraries, impulse uses extension applications only, JNI/JNA DLLs/shared libraries are not used intentionally.
Reason for this is that shared libraries may influence the runtime engine and therefor the whole eclipse IDE.  
These extension applications are simple console application, interfacing with the java domain via stdin/stdout or a tcp port.