Position paper: real-time is a critical feature for CORBA, just like everything else

The author discusses the middleware concept, focusing on CORBA. He defines middleware is a collection of widely portable API´s supporting interoperability between applications. He remarks that as one explores more deeply the middleware phenomenon, one finds an even more deeply rooted need than portability that middleware attempts to exploit. Middleware packages, whether based on remote procedure call (RPC), pipes, messaging or some other metaphor, attempt to support single thread model of computing in a multiple thread world. In essence, they instill a programmer´s illusion that he can continue to operate the same way in a multiple processor world as he did in a single processor world. Perhaps even the same languages, compilers and applications can gain efficient new form in that world