Middleware Design and Implementation for Networked Embedded Systems

The networked embedded systems challenge assumptions about resource availability and scale made by classical approaches to distributed computing, and thus represent an active research area with many open questions. TAO and ORBexpress RT are general-purpose CORBA implementations that provide real-time and distribution features for a wide variety of application domains. The middleware is applied to a wider range of networked embedded systems, a fundamental tension between breadth of applicability and customization to the needs of each application becomes increasingly apparent. The two key factors that motivate the development of ORB-style middleware for networked embedded systems are remote communication and location independence. The selection of features for our special-purpose middleware implementation was strictly driven by the unique requirements of the application domain. It is therefore important to adopt an iterative approach to middleware development that starts with specific application requirements and takes simulation and experimentation results into consideration.