Agricultural enterprise information management using object databases, Java, and CORBA

A software architecture based on an object database management system (ODBMS), Java, and Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) was applied to a variety of agricultural enterprise applications. The advantages and disadvantages of using object database are compared with conventional relational database management systems in complex applications. In a distributed object computing environment, a commercial ODBMS provides a repository for information on agriculture and natural resources in large organizations, Java provides a high-level programming environment, and CORBA provides a way of sharing applications and information across the Internet. Several applications are described, including an extension publication archive and an institutional accountability project. Results were that the object database offered significant advantages in modeling complex data applications, and the object design approach led to an overall increase in productivity by software developers. However, the technology in general suffers from a lack of maturity.