Motivation

Middleware has recently emerged as a key architectural component in supporting distributed applications. In our view, the role of middleware is to present a unified programming model to application writers and to mask out problems of heterogeneity and distribution. Key examples of middleware standards and platforms include the ISO/ITU-T Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing, OMG's CORBA, and Microsoft's DirectShow architecture.

It is important however that such middleware platforms remain responsive to new end user demands and the emergence of new technology. Key challenges that we are interested in include support for multimedia applications, and meeting the demands of mobile computing (other challenges include real-time computing and high integrity systems). In our opinion, such challenges require new approaches to the design and implementation of middleware platforms in terms of i) being able to configure the underlying support offered by the platform, and ii) being able to reconfigure this support should initial assumptions change (e.g. as is often the case in mobile computing).

Email: mpg@comp.lancs.ac.uk 
Tel: +44 (0)1524 65201, Fax: +44 (0)1524 593608