On Second Generation Distributed Component Systems

Klaus Schmaranz (Institute for Information Processing and Computer Supported New Media (IICM), Austria)

Abstract: Two of today's most used buzz-words in the context of software development are the terms Componentware and Distributed Object-System. The combination of both ideas is then called a Distributed Component-System, meaning a componentware approach where the components are distributed across the network. Today's approaches fulfill the application developers' needs only partly. Also, most are more or less cumbersome to use. I want to call such part-solutions like e.g. Corba, Enterprise Java­Beans and others first generation distributed component systems. In fact, Corba has a different origin, but for the moment let me consider it to be a first generation componentware system, too.

In this paper I want to identify the requirements that have to be fulfilled to design and implement a second generation distributed component system. One main aspect is behind all of the ideas of second generation systems: a good distributed component system is one that the application programmers don't notice.

The open-source project Dinopolis is currently in its early implementation phase and can be considered the first second-generation distributed component system according to the requirements that are identified in the following. Therefore the very basic cornerstones of Dinopolis are discussed at the end of this paper.

Keywords: Componentware, Dinopolis, Distributed Component System, Distributed Object System, Distributed Relations, Java, Middleware, Network Transparency Aspects, Robust Globally Unique Handles

Categories: D.1.5, D.2, D.2.6, D.2.7