Understanding Networked Applications:

A First Course

Chapter 16
by
David G. Messerschmitt

Layering a computing
infrastructure
Applications
Application components
Middleware
Operating system
Network
Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

Spanning layer
Application
Distributed object management
Windows NT
TCP UDP

Mac OS

UNIX

TCP UDP

TCP UDP

Internet protocol
Network 1

Network 2
Spanning layers

Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

The new infrastructure:

middleware
Layer of software between OS and
application
Hides heterogeneity
Provides generic common services
Increases level of abstraction

By its nature, not single platform, nor

bundled with equipment
Microsoft attempts to be an exception
Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

The new infrastructure

Middleware is
where new capabilities are added by layering
where much of the experimentation and
innovation happens in the infrastructure
where the successful approaches have a chance
to become a spanning layer and/or integrated
into a distributed OS

Boundary to a distributed OS is fuzzy

Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

Middleware objectives
Hide heterogeneity
Location independence
Common functionality needed by many
applications
Software portability and mobile code
Help integrate legacy facilities
Aid application interoperability
Aid scalability
Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

Some middleware categories

Transaction processing
Simplify the coordination of complementary
resource managers

Message-oriented middleware
Support message and queuing capabilities
where resource mangers are not available
simultaneously (like workflow)

Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

Some middleware categories

Distributed object management
Support applications that are distributed across
heterogeneous platforms and organizations

Mobile code
Allow application code to be moved and
executed on heterogeneous platforms
Without prior software installation
Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

Infrastructure software today

With networks, new emphasis on:
Portability: applications run across multiple
platforms (avoid lock-in)
Interoperability: pieces of application must
work together (benefit from network effects)
What are some examples of each?

Understanding Networked Applications

A First Course

Understanding Networked Applications:

A First Course

Transaction processing
by
David G. Messerschmitt

The transaction

Durable
starting
state

Collection of resource actions

Abort

Successful
completion

Durable,
consistent,
ending state

Rollback

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Transaction architecture
Join

Application logic

Transaction
manager

Prepare,
commit,
abort

Resource managers
Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Commit or abort
One or
more nos

Phase 2
Transaction
manager

Phase 1

abort()

Transaction
manager

Rollback
Transaction
manager

prepare() yes_or_no

All yes

Understanding Networked Applications

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commit()

A First Course

Atomic series of resource actions

Client_1

Client_2

Server
Starting state

Inconsistent
state

Group of RMIs

Final state

Understanding Networked Applications

14

A First Course

Locking to prevent conflicts

Client_1

Client_2

Server
Lock

Starting state

Refused

Group of RMIs

Final state

Unlock
Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Abort
Client_1

Client_2

Server
Starting state

Group of RMIs

Something goes awry

Inconsistent
state
Final state

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Rollback
Client_1

Client_2

Server
Starting state

Group of RMIs

Rollback
Something goes awry

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Transaction protocol
Application server

Resource manager

request(tp_ID,.)

Transaction manager

join(tp_ID)

More requests. Lock

commit?(tp_ID)
commit_or_abort(tp_ID)

Commit or rollback
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A First Course

Understanding Networked Applications:

A First Course

Mobile code and Java

by
David G. Messerschmitt

Reminder: two key requirements

With networks, new emphasis on:
Portability: applications run across multiple
platforms (avoid lock-in)
Interoperability: pieces of application must
work together (benefit from network effects)

Understanding Networked Applications

20

A First Course

Dynamic portability: mobile code

Send code (as a message) to a host
MC

Mobile code:
Code representing
a software program that
can be moved to
heterogeneous
platforms and executed
there

Understanding Networked Applications

Execute the program

represented by that code

21

A First Course

Portability can aid

interoperability
MC

Mobile code originating from a common

source can enhance interoperability

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Java
Portability
Write once, run anywhere

Programming productivity
Garbage collection (no memory leaks)
Multi-threaded

Scalability
Move execution cycles

Interoperability
Software components come from common repository
Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Mobile code:
Code representing
a software program
MC

Idea of mobile code

Send as a message to a host

MA

Mobile agent:
Code and data
representing an object
or component

Understanding Networked Applications

Execute the program

24

A First Course

Some mobile code advantages

Executing program
closer to user can
enhance interactivity

MC

Mobile code originating

from a common source
can enhance
interoperability and
bypass network effects
MC

Shifting location of
computation can
enhance scalability

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A First Course

Idea of mobile agents

Agent executes in each
host, modifying its state
Agent launched

MA

Agent returns

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A First Course

Java virtual machine

Java program
Mobile code

Compilation

JIT
compiler

VM
interpreter

Bytecode:
low level but
machine independent
Native machine
instructions

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A First Course

VM as spanning layer
Applications
JavaBeans
component framework

Java VM spanning layer

Java virtual machine

Operating system

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A First Course

SUN/Java strategy
License Java freely, even to rival Microsoft
Why?

License terms give Sun a modicum of

control over the standard
Why?

How does Sun expect to make money?

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A First Course

Understanding Networked Applications:

A First Course

Distributed object management

by
David G. Messerschmitt

Distributed object management

Emphasis is on interoperability
Allows objects on one host to invoke methods of
objects on another host
Platform, language independent

CORBA vs DCOM
Portability is not the emphasis

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A First Course

Interoperability
Client

Server

Client object can invoke methods of server object,

even if they are running on different platforms,
written in different languages

What else is needed?

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Interoperability

Client

Server
Interoperability also requires:
Common structure of data
Common interpretation of data
Agreement on protocols

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A First Course

Before and after

Distributed application

OS 1

OS 2

OS 3

IP
Distributed application
Distributed object management middleware

OS 1

OS 2

OS 3

Potential
spanning
layer
Spanning
layer

IP
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A First Course

What is the acronym?

Common Object Request Broker
Architecture
or

Concerned Off-Road Bicyclist Association?

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A First Course

CORBA architecture
Client
objects
Server objects

Object
adapter
Object request broker core
Interface
repository
Understanding Networked Applications

CORBA services
36

A First Course

Protocol layer
Location-independent
application

Application

Object Management
Group CORBA
standard

Object request broker

Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP)

User datagram
protocol (UDP)

Transmission control
protocol (TCP)
Internet protocol (IP)

Subnetworks

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Portability not promised

Location-dependent application
Application 1

Interoperability

ORB 1

Application 2
ORB 2

Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP)

CORBA standard does not insure

ORB-to-ORB portability

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A First Course

OMG process
Identify need
Request for proposals
Process to
choose best
or ask proposal advocates to work together

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Which is most effective?

Industry de facto standard effort (CORBA)
or

Single vendor integrated solution (DCOM)?

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A First Course

CORBA vs DCOM
CORBA
Integrate best ideas
Multi-vendor support
Cross-platform and
language

Understanding Networked Applications

DCOM
Fast, no consensus
required
No vendor
interoperability issues

41

A First Course

Two methods for application

interaction
CORBA and DCOM
Exchange documents (XML)
What are their relative merits?

Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

CORBA vs XML
CORBA

XML

Natural OOP extension

Flexible data-sharing

No document
interpretation

Good for document-like

objects

Good for back-andforth protocols

Natural cross-platform
capability

Both have need for

standardization of data or
document interpretation

No protocol standardization

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A First Course

What CORBA provides

Java
Language bindings
Transportable objects

Inter-galactic software bus

Cross-platform and language
Interoperability (but not portability)

High levels of abstraction

Remote method invocation on objects
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A First Course

What CORBA provides (cont)

Run-time flexibility
Everything self-describing
Interface discovery
Dynamic data structures and binding

Useful services
Naming
Security
Many others
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A First Course

Importance of CORBA
Inter-enterprise computing
Platform and language independence
Electronic commerce, network management,
etc

Reduction of network effects

Another spanning layer
Significance of platform reduced
Understanding Networked Applications

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A First Course

Are Java and CORBA

competitive or complementary?
Both offer interoperability across different
platforms
Java offers portability and transportability
CORBA offers heterogeneous language bindings
CORBA offers many services, metadata, etc.
Bottom line: they are complementary!
(but some Java proponents may not agree)

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A First Course

Who favors what?

Would these vendors be
in favor of:

Microsoft
Intel

Interoperability?

SUN

Portability?

Novell
Iona

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A First Course