Towards software multioperability: bridging heterogeneous software interoperability platforms

Software interoperability (i.e., middleware) platforms aim at supporting componentbased development with lower costs, higher developer productivity, and increased off-the-shelf reuse. However, the proprietary nature of existing middleware technologies has resulted in a highly-fragmented software component marketplace, ultimately hurting the ability of (1) developers to arrive at the most effective solutions to their problems and (2) educators to produce a work force well versed in the principles of component-based development (as opposed to the details of individual technologies such as CORBA or COM). This paper proposes a three-faceted approach whose goal is to establish the fundamental principles of software multioperability , the ability of software components to be multiply-interoperable with other kinds of components automatically, seamlessly, and regardless of their underlying architecture or middleware basis. The paper presents the results achieved in this area to date and outlines an agenda for future work.

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