OMG
From: soley@emerald.omg.ORG (Richard Mark Soley)
In answer to your general question about the OMG, here's a brief overview.
Feel free to call, fax or email for more information.
-- Richard Soley
Vice President & Technical Director
Object Management Group, Inc.
and coincidentally, MIT '82, SM '85, PhD '89 (EECS)
The Object Management Group (OMG) is an international software industry
consortium with two primary aims:
(*) promotion of the object-oriented approach to software engineering
in general, and
(*) development of command models and a common interface for the development
and use of large-scale distributed applications (open distributed
processing) using object-oriented methodology.
In late 1990 the OMG published its Object Management Architecture
(OMA) Guide document. This document outlines a single terminology for
object-oriented languages, systems, databases and application
frameworks; an abstract framework for object-oriented systems; a set
of both technical and architectural goals; and an architecture
(reference model) for distributed applications using object-oriented
techniques. To fill out this reference model, four areas of
standardization have been identified:
1) the Object Request Broker, or key communications element, for
handling distribution of messages between application objects in
a highly interoperable manner;
2) the Object Model, or single design-portability abstract model for
communicating with OMG-conforming object-oriented systems;
3) the Object Services, which will provide the main functions for
realising basic object functionality using the Object Request Broker -
the logical modeling and physical storage of objects; and
4) the Common Facilities will comprise facilities which are useful in
many application domains and which will be made available through OMA
compliant class interfaces.
The OMG adoption cycle includes Requests for Information and
Proposals, requesting detailed technical and commercial availability
information from OMG members about existing products to fill
particular parts of the reference model architecture. After passage
by Technical and Business committees to review these responses, the
OMG Board of Directors makes a final determination for technology adoption.
Adopted specifications are available on a fee-free basis to members and
non-members alike.
In late 1991 OMG adopted its first interface technology, for the Object
Request Broker portion of the reference model. This technology, adopted
from a joint proposal (named "CORBA") of Hewlett-Packard, NCR Corp.,
HyperDesk Corp., Digital Equipment Corp., Sun Microsystems and Object
Design Inc. includes both static and dynamic interfaces to an inter-
application request handling software "bus."
Unlike other organizations, the OMG itself does not and will not
develop nor sell software of any kind. Instead, it selects and promulgates
software interfaces; products which offer these interfaces continue to be
developed and offered by commercial companies.
In order to serve OMG membership interested in other object-oriented systems
arenas besides the distributed system problem, the Group supports Special
Interest Groups for discussion of possible standards in other areas. These
groups at present are:
1) Object Oriented Databases;
2) OO Languages;
3) End-User Requirements;
4) Parallel Processing;
5) Analysis & Design Methodologies;
6) Smalltalk; and
7) Class Libraries.
Any company, university/research institution or individual, whether
end-user or vendor, can become a member of this body. Administrative
details are given at the end of this paper.
3.8.3 Mail Server Access
_________________________
Information via Mail Server:
Send the following commands in a letter to the mail server.
mail omg_server@omg.org
help (how to use file server)
index (return a list of all available files)
get <file> (get files returned by index)
log <info> (logs info on server)
address <e-mail address) (use this address instead of sender)
list <directory> [match] (index a directory, pattern 'match' files)
size <segment size> (max file size to send)
list mail
list docs
get docs/doclist.txt
get docs/91-12-1.ps CORBA spec [although it looks a little old]
Recommended (from the net):
mail omg_server@omg.org
Subject:
help
index
list
list mail
list docs
get docs/doclist.txt
3.8.4 OMG Publications
_______________________
Below is from omg.org:pub/CORBA
> First Class (Bi-Monthly Newsletter)
First Class is OMG's non-commercial bi-monthly 28-page
newsletter. First Class provides current information on Object
Technology developments, both technically and commercially. First
Class offers an open editorial forum on numerous Object
Technology topics and issues. This publication features
commentaries from software industry leaders, informative user
case histories, OT training information and the latest object-
oriented product announcements. All OMG activities and the
ongoing development of the Object Management Architecture are
regularly reported.
> Object Management Architecture Guide (OMA)
The members of the OMG have a shared goal of developing and using
integrated software systems. These systems should be built using
a methodology that supports modular production of software;
encourages reuse of code; allows useful integration across lines
of developers, operating systems and hardware; and enhance long-
range maintenance of that code. As an organization, OMG believes
that the object-oriented approach to software construction best
supports their goals. The OMA publication outlines the
groundwork for technology response to Request for Proposals (RFP)
and the adoption of specifications.
> The Common Object Request Broker: Arch. and Spec. (Corba)
The CORBA, as defined by the OMG's Object Request Broker (ORB),
provides the mechanisms by which objects transparently make
requests and receive responses. The ORB provides interoperability
between applications on different machines in heterogeneous
distributed environments and seamlessly interconnects multiple
object systems. The Common Object Request Broker Architecture and
Specification described in this published document is a self-
contained response to the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by
the ORB Task Force of the OMG.
> Pricing
[Here's why you don't see the specifications posted on the net! These are
from the list of literature and periodicals listed in omg.org:pub/CORBA]
o I would like a one year subscription to First Class
______ for $40 U.S., ______ for $50 outside U.S.
o I would like to order ______ copy(s) of the Object Management
Architecture (OMA) Guide for $50 each.
o I would like to order ______ copy(s) of the CORBA for $50 each.
o [Combinations]
Contact documents@omg.org or omg_documents@omg.org for more of the same...
3.8.5 Implementations (Brief)
______________________________
> DEC ACA. Maynard, MA
Runs on AIX,VMS,ULTRIX,,MS-WINDOWS,MAC,HP-UX,UNIX, NT(planned).
> HP ORB Plus and HP Distributed Smalltalk
Full implementation of the OMG CORBA 1.1 Object Request Broker.
Also DOMF
Hewlett-Packard
Distributed Computing Group
19447 Pruneridge Avenue
Cupertino, CA 95014-9974 (USA)
Ian Fuller ian@cup.hp.com (408) 447-4722
> HyperDesk (Westborough MA) HD-DOMS, joe_cordo@hyperdesk.com
Runs on SPARC, HP/UX, IBM RS-6000, Data General Aviion, MS-Windows (client
API only), NetWare (planned, Novell owns part of HyperDesk).
> IBM SOM (System Object Model)
Available on AIX and OS/2. See Distributed Computing Monitor, March 93 for a
detailed review.
> IONA Technologies, Dublin Orbix, info@iona.ie
runs on (Unix (Solaris 1.1) (now), DOS, Windows, NT (planned)
> ROLSCH CONSULTING (RC-ORB)
implements ORB spec, DOS/Windows 3.1, 12 user license: $99.
Ref: Datamation, LOOK AHEAD Section, August 1. German Company.
> SuiteSoftware (Anaheim CA) SuiteDOME
runs on VAX/VMS, Unix, PC
> Sun DOE
> Tivoli
> CS Dept. University of Zurich, Switzerland. maffeis@ifi.unizh.ch
The ELECTRA Toolkit (not finished)
3.8.6 Implementation Descriptions
___________________________________
The OMG also has a (Corporate) Membership list and "known CORBA supporters"
list with their info package.
> The ELECTRA Toolkit
CS Dept. University of Zurich, Switzerland. maffeis@ifi.unizh.ch
The ELECTRA Toolkit
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