A preliminary study on CORBA technology

I. Overview

CORBA (Common object Request Broker architecture, common Object Solicitation Broker architecture) is an application software architecture and Object Technical specification presented by the OMG (object management organization, objects Management Group) , its core is a set of standard languages, interfaces, and protocols to support interoperability between heterogeneous distributed applications and object reuse independent of platform and programming languages.

After nearly more than 10 years of development, CORBA has gradually matured, and successfully applied in many large software systems in China, thus generating a large demand for software developers who have mastered CORBA technology. At this point, we should organize the lecture at the request of the readers.

Second, the background of CORBA generation

In recent years, with the increasing sophistication of internet technology, the public and commercial enterprises are enjoying the high quality digital life brought by high-speed and low-cost network information transmission. However, due to the expansion of network scale and the rapid improvement of computer hardware and software technology, the traditional application software system has brought great challenge to the realization of the way.

First of all, in enterprise application, hardware system integrators based on performance, price, service and other aspects, usually in the same system integration from different vendors of hardware devices, operating systems, database platforms and network protocols, resulting in the heterogeneity of the interoperability of the application software, Compatibility and smooth upgrade capabilities pose serious problems.

In addition, with the increasing of network-based business, the traditional client/server (c/s) mode of distributed application is increasingly showing its limitations in operating efficiency, system network security and system upgrade capability.

In order to solve the problem of the interconnection of different hardware devices and software systems in the Distributed computing environment (dce,distributed Computing Environment), enhance the interoperability of software between networks, and solve the problems of traditional distributed computing mode, The Object Management organization (OMG) proposes a common object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) to enhance interoperability between software systems, making it possible to construct a flexible distributed application system.

It is based on the development and maturity of object-oriented technology, the universal application of client/server software system and the integration of existing systems, which promotes the maturation and development of CORBA technology. As the core of object communication in object-oriented system, CORBA brings the real interconnection to the network computing environment today.

Iii. The development course of CORBA

1. Introduction to Object Management Organization (OMG)

OMG was founded in 1989, as a non-profit organization, focused on the development of technologically advanced, commercially viable and independent of the manufacturer's software interconnection specification, the promotion of object-oriented model technology, enhance the portability of software (portability), Reusability (reusability) and interoperability (interoperability). At the beginning of the organization, its members included Unisys, Sun, Cannon, Hewlett-Packard, Philips and other reputable hardware and software manufacturers in the industry, and the organization now has more than 800 members.

2, the development of CORBA major version of the process

· November 1990, the OMG published "Object Management System Guide", the initial clarification of CORBA's thinking;

· In October 1991, the OMG launched version 1.0, which defines interface Definition language (IDL), object management model, and content such as API and interface warehouse based on dynamic request;

· In December 1991, the OMG introduced CORBA version 1.1, and introduced the concept of object adapter based on the clarification of the two semantics of the 1.0 edition.

· August 1996, the OMG based on the previous upgrade version, completed the 2.0 version of the development, this version of the important content is the object Request Proxy Protocol (Iiop,internet Inter-ORB Protocol) introduced to achieve the different manufacturers of the ORB in the true sense of interoperability;

· In September 1998, the OMG published CORBA version 2.3, adding support for asynchronous real-time transmission of CORBA objects, quality of service specifications, and so on. Currently, middleware vendors that support the CORBA 2.3 specification include well-known CORBA product manufacturers such as Inprise (Borland), Iona, and BEA system.

· August 2002, CORBA Specification 3.0 finally came out, in the CORBA3.0 specification to remove the Minicorba and real-time CORBA.