| Intelligent Distributed Computing Department |
| Distributed Systems Technology Group Papers |
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Research Advances in Middleware for Distributed Systems: State of the Art
Citation: Richard E. Schantz and Douglas C. Schmidt, "Research Advances in Middleware for Distributed Systems: State of the Art", IFIP World Computer Congress, August 2002, Montreal, Canada (also in Kluwer Academic Publishers "Communication Systems: The State of the Art", to be published 2003)
Formats: PDF
Abstract Two fundamental trends influence the way we conceive and construct new computing and information systems. The first is that information technology of all forms is becoming highly commoditized i.e., hardware and software artifacts are getting faster, cheaper, and better at a relatively predictable rate. The second is the growing acceptance of a network-centric paradigm, where distributed applications with a range of quality of service (QoS) needs are constructed by integrating separate components connected by various forms of communication services. The nature of these interconnections can range from very small and tightly coupled systems, such as avionics mission computing systems, to very large and loosely coupled systems, such as global telecommunications systems and so-called “grid” computing. The interplay of these two trends has yielded new architectural concepts and services embodying layers of middleware. Middleware is systems software that resides between the applications and the underlying operating systems, network protocol stacks, and hardware. Its primary role is to functionally bridge the gap between application programs and the lower-level hardware and software infrastructure in order to:
- Make it feasible, easier, and more cost effective to develop and evolve distributed systems
- Coordinate how parts of applications are connected and how they interoperate and
- Enable and simplify the integration of components developed by multiple technology suppliers.
The growing importance of middleware stems from the recognition of the need for more advanced and capable support–beyond simple connectivity–to construct effective distributed systems. A significant portion of middleware-oriented R&D activities over the past decade have therefore focused on
- Identifying, evolving, and expanding our understanding of current middleware services to support the network-centric paradigm and
- Defining additional middleware layers and capabilities to meet the challenges associated with constructing future network-centric systems.
These activities are expected to continue forward well into this decade to address the needs of next-generation distributed systems.
