Distributed object technology for networking

Distributed object systems have become a foundation technology and operational platform for large, complex communications networks. This article explains what distributed object technology is and what it does for networks and communication services. It describes the current key technologies in this field, the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) and the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM), and gives examples of networking architectures, such as TINA and TMN, that utilize these technologies. Finally, this article introduces a simplified model for a CORBA-based networking architecture that facilitates open network interfaces and provides a generic platform for services of the future.