Middleware

Abstract

Middleware facilitates and manages the interaction between applications across heterogeneous computing platforms. It is the architectural solution to the problem of integrating a collection of servers and applications under a common service interface. Simple as this description is, it still covers a wide range of situations. Obviously, integrating two databases residing on the same LAN is not the same as integrating two complete 3-tier systems residing on different branches of the same company and linked through a leased line. For the same reason, the solutions employed in the latter case cannot be the same if the systems to be integrated are owned by different companies and must communicate through the Internet.