deploying and managing ip over wdm networks - Index of

platform. The DSC gateway was developed in Java and the Netrac getaway was
developed in C++. Java, being a platform independent language, can run on a
Windows 2000 and a UNIX operating system. The C++ code developed on the
Netrac platform was ported from the Windows 2000 environment to the UNIX
operating system, thus allowing the entire WINMAN project to run on both
environments.
9.5 The Middleware
The middleware in the context of WINMAN is connectivity software consisting
of a set of enabling services that allow multiple processes running on one or
more machines to interact across a network. It is a general term for any programming
that serves to “glue together” or mediate between two separate and
usually already existing programs.
By introducing middleware in WINMAN, it is possible to separate
responsibilities between parties and to shield machine and operating system
dependencies. The middleware used in WINMAN glues together the management
applications with a standard Java or C++ platform by providing:
• Global communication services;
• Naming and location services;
• Notification service;
• Component support.
9.5.1 CORBA
Technologies and Tools 169
CORBA is a technology for distributed object computing defined by the
OMG, a cross-industry consortium. It defines common semantics for the specification
of objects and the interfaces they offer, allowing standard and programming
language–independent communications between applications.
The main components of the CORBA standard are:
• The ORB that provides a platform allowing interobject communication,
without dependency on the specific platforms and techniques
used to implement the objects. The ORB lets the objects send and
receive requests and responses in a transparent way within a distributed
environment.
• The CORBA services, which implement generic and commonly used
functions through standard interfaces. The name service, the event service,
and the lifecycle service are examples of already defined services.