Issues on real-time object request brokers

For many applications such as command and control, telecommunications, and process control, it is critical that they meet timing constraints and ensure predictable computation. Furthermore, some of these applications are also distributed in nature and utilize distributed object management technology such as object request brokers (ORB) for interoperability. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate real time systems technology with distributed object management technology for many distributed real time applications. The article describes some of the issues that need to be investigated in order to develop real time data processing extensions to the common object request broker architecture (CORBA). In particular, issues on extensions to ORBs are given. A discussion of some real time services and applications hosted on real time ORBs is also provided. Finally, an overview of the work of the Object Management Group´s Real time Special Interest Group is provided