From: bhc@i-kinetics.com (Bruce Cottman)
Subject: Re: Object Management System/Object Request Broker (OMS/ORB)
Organization: I-Kinetics, Inc., Cambridge, MA USA
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 16:58:17 GMT


>> The Object Management Group has proposed standards for inter-object
>>and intra-object communications.  They call this standard the "Object
>> Management System".  This OMS, they propose, will use a particular
>> feature called the Object Request Broker (ORB).

>>This sounds interesting.  What does everyone know of this standard?
>>There is a company, HyperDesk, which is producing an OMS/ORB development
>>system.  Anyone know of this system?  Does anyone know of any competing
>>systems?

CORBA: The Common Object Request Broker: Architecture and Specification.
It is not a standard. It is a specification.  Unless, some official standard
body has adopted it that I don't know about.  Sorry, if I am offending
X/Open advocates.

The spec can be obtained (for $50) from
Object Management Group,Inc.
1(508)-820-4300

The Common Object Request Broker: Architecture and Specification was
a final (negotiated) submission by DEC, HP, HyperDesk NCR, Object Design
and SunSoft.  The major (identifiable) CORBA components are
() Object Request Broker
() IDL: Interface Definition Language
() Interface Respository
() ORB Interface
() Basic Object Adapter

() DEC's first CORBA "like" component offerings is Pathworks and NSA.

() HP first step is their CASE framework and Network Management
framework. They probably are working (or have) some other stuff.

() Sun's CORBA building blocks are ONC, ToolTalk, NIS+ and they are
currently hiring to implement the second generation of CORBA
components. i.e IDL compiler, repository.  Additionally, they plan to
develop Basic Object Adaptors for popular software such as RDBMS.

() NCR ???

() Object Design will sell you their OODBMS ObjectStore which you can use as
the centerpiece for the Interface Repository.

() HyperDesk main product is a ORB which seems to positioned for document
based groupware.  It emphasizes moving large granularity objects around, i.e.
documents.  They may, however,
support lightweight message passing between objects in the future.

Fringe players include:

() I-Kinetics, Inc. (yes. us).
   ObjectExpress: our version of IDL, for passing C and C++ complex data between applications.
                  Also includes Interface Repository API and runtime services.
   I-Gates: our version of Basic Object Adaptors.  Allows various DBMSs and analytic libraries
            to act as well behaved services.
   I-Bridge: Bridge interprocess communication and ORB frameworks.  Converts protocol of one
             framework into protocol of another. Example: ToolTalk and Windows DDE.

() BBN, all sorts of stuff that could fit under CORBA umbrella.

() CAD Framework Initiative members. They want to tie ECAD tools togeather.
   They have a competing specification called
  "Inter-Tool Communication Base Object Model and Interface".

() Teknekron's Information Bus.

() Microsoft's WOSA: Windows Open Services Architecture:
  From PC Magazine 4/28/91
" WOSA is the framework for anything that provides the desktop with
services (such as connecting to a database server or managing a site
license),but it does so in a way that is independent of the underlying
technology. So OLE (object linking and embedding), MAPI (mail
application programming interface), Macro Manager, and the Open
Database Connectivity initiative are all pieces of the strategy."

() Borland's object bus concept.

() Lotus's Notes and their plans for its future.

() It goes on and on.  Why? The next generation of networking will be
application sharing.  When you look at it, the first generation of
networking applications consisted of the ability to share disks and
lineprinters.

My opinion, but Version 1.1 of CORBA spec. greatest contribution will be in the
area of unifing terminology.  The spec. allows for different ORBs, specialized for
different needs.  It makes every attempt to be as open and general as possible.
However, the IDL and Interface Repository  data and operations are defined fairly strictly.

Bruce H. Cottman
I-Kinetics, Inc.
19 Bishop Allen Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139
Voice: (617) 661-8181
Fax: (617) 661-8625
Internet: bhc@i-kinetics.com
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