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Middleware is computer software that connects software components or applications. It is used most often to support complex, distributed applications. It includes web servers, application servers, content management systems, and similar tools that support application development and delivery. Middleware is especially integral to modern information technology based on XML, SOAP, Web services, and service-oriented architecture. The term middleware is sometimes considered a buzzword.
Definition Middleware is the enabling technology of Enterprise application integration. It describes a piece of software that connects two or more software applications so that they can exchange data. ObjectWeb defines middleware as "the software layer that lies between the operating system and the applications on each side" of a distributed computing system. • Origins Middleware is a relatively new addition to the computing landscape. It gained popularity in the 1980s as a solution to the problem of how to link new applications to older legacy systems, although the term had been in use since 1968.• It also facilitated distributed processing – the connection of multiple applications to create a larger application, usually over a network. Organizations In addition to the existing vendors updating their wares to address the newly expanded vision, vendors such as Mercator, Vitria, Fiorano and webMethods were specifically founded to provide Web-oriented middleware tools. Groups such as the Apache Software Foundation and the ObjectWeb Consortium encourage the development of open source middleware. Types of middleware Hurwitz's classification system that organizes the many types of middleware that are currently available. These classifications are based on scalability and recoverability: Other sources include these additional classifications: See also | ||||||||
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