Avoiding a middleware muddle

Middleware is a layer of software that enables communications between software components regardless of the programming language in which the components are developed, the protocols used to communicate between components, or the platforms on which the components execute. To make sense of the middleware morass and to select the middleware best for you, the author recommends the following steps when constructing your system: identify what type of communication must occur; identify the communications model you will use to implement that communication type; using your communications model, identify the types of middleware you will use to implement the communication; and evaluate candidate products. The author examines each step in detail.