Middleware for Communications (PDF)

A state-of-the-art guide to middleware technologies, and their
pivotal role in communications networks.

Middleware is about integration and interoperability of
applications and services running on heterogeneous computing and
communications devices. The services it provides - including
identification, authentication, authorization, soft-switching,
certification and security - are used in a vast range of global
appliances and systems, from smart cards and wireless devices to
mobile services and e-Commerce.

Qusay H. Mahmoud has created an invaluable reference tool that
explores the origins and current uses of middleware (highlighting
the importance of such technologies as CORBA, J2EE and JMS) and has
thus compiled the roadmap to future research in this area.

Middleware for Communications:

* discusses the emerging fields of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and grid
middleware detailing middleware platforms such as JXTA and the
Globus middleware toolkit.

* shows how Middleware will play a significant role in mobile
computing.

* presents a Platform Supporting Mobile Applications (PLASMA) - a
middleware platform that consists of components for location,
event, and profile handling of Location-Based Services.

* introduces middleware security focusing on the appropriate
aspects of CORBA, J2EE, and .NET and demonstrates how to realize
complex security capabilities such as role-based access control
(RBAC) and mandatory access control (MAC).

* discusses how Quality of Service (QoS) component middleware can
be combined with Model Driven Architecture (MDA) technologies to
rapidly develop, generate, assemble and deploy flexible
communications applications.

This incomparable overview of middleware for communications is
suitable for graduate students and researchers in communications
and computing departments. It is also an authoritative guide for
engineers and developers working on distributed systems, mobile
computing and networked appliances.