An ODP-based approach to overcoming heterogeneity in wide area networks

Computer networks are growing in number and capacity, and internetworking allows users to access services globally. An inherent problem of such large networks is managing the heterogeneity of applications, hardware and supporting software. Open Distributed Processing (ODP) introduces type description and type management functions as a mechanism for overcoming this heterogeneity. This paper considers issues surrounding the construction of an ODP-based type manager. It sets requirements for such a type manager and describes a canonical type model for ODP-based systems. The functionality and structure of the type manager are given and then this approach is compared with the type management facilities in existing platforms for distributed computing.