An ECA object service to support active distributed objects

Existing Object Management Group (OMG) standards (such as the Common Object Request Broker Architecture specification) provide specific details on how to model distributed objects through the use of an object request broker. However, the specification provided by OMG is not sufficient. For example, it does not specify how active, distributed objects can perform certain functions in response to certain events. It also does not provide any details on how to implement an object service to support active, distributed objects. Such an object service can provide facilities for applications to define events and rules. In view of this, this paper identifies, explores, and provides an approach to model applications as active, distributed objects. The research specifically involves the design, development, and experimental demonstration of an object service based on an active, distributed object model. This object service allows applications to define events and rules. When an event occurs, the object service locates the rule objects and triggers them. It also provides transparency for the objects which generate events. To provide a specific context for the approach, an object service using the specifications provided by the OMG is designed and implemented. The class of application environments for which this approach is suitable and useful includes time-dependent applications and systems that require some form of action such as medical and geographic information systems, distributed work-flow management, distributed expert systems, and computer-integrated manufacturing. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1997.