1、什么是middleware,有什么功能？
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 based on XML, SOAP, Web services, and service-oriented architecture.
中間件是連接應用軟件或組件的一種軟件，通常用來支持整合或分布式應用，包括WEB服務，應用服務器，CMS以及其他類似的東東。中間件在XML，SOAP，SOA的應用中特別需要。
2、objectweb的定義
Middleware is the enabling technology of Enterprise application integration. It describes a piece of software that allows two or more software applications to connect together 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.
中間件是一種能夠整合企業應用的技術，它是一種可以讓兩個或更多應用軟件連接在一起交換數據的軟件。
objectweb定義中間件是分布式系統中一個介于操作系統和應用軟件之間的層次。
3、起源
Middleware is a relatively new addition to the computing landscape. It gained popularity in the 1980's 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 together to create a larger application, usually over a network.
中間為計算機發展的前景提供了新的選擇，作為一種連接新老系統的解決方案，老系統中甚至有1968年起用的，所以它在上實際80年代贏得很好的聲譽。它還推動了基于網絡的分布式計算的發展，分布式計算是一種靠連接多個應用形成一個大的新應用的方式。
4、組織
In addition to the existing vendors updating their wares to address the newly expanded vision, vendors such as Mercator, Vitria, 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.
除了已經存在的供應商升級了他們的產品以便應對延伸的應用之外，象mercator,vitria,webmethods都特別提供了面向WEB的中間件產品。象apache和objectweb這樣的組織鼓勵開源的中間件。
5、中間件的類型
Hurwitz's classification system that organizes the many types of middleware that are currently available. These classifications are based on scalability and recoverability:
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Remote Procedure Call (RPCs) - Client makes calls to procedures running on remote systems. Can be asynchronous or synchronous.
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Publish/subscribe - This type of middleware monitors activity and pushes relevant information to subscribers.
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Message Oriented Middleware (MOM) - Messages sent to the client are collected and stored until they are acted upon, while the client continues with other processing.
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Object Request Broker (ORB) - This type of middleware makes it possible for applications to send objects and request services in an object-oriented system.
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SQL-oriented Data Access - middleware between applications and database servers.
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Other sources include these additional classifications:
- Transaction processing (TP) monitors - Provides tools and an environment for developing and deploying distributed applications.
- Application servers - software installed on a computer to facilitate the serving (running) of other applications.
- Enterprise Service Bus - An abstraction layer on top of an Enterprise Messaging System.
1、RPCs 遠程調用：客戶端調用遠程系統上的應用，呼叫和可以是同步或異步的。
2、MOM 面向消息的中間件：發送到客戶端的消息被收集和存儲起來直到他們被遵照執行，同時客戶端還繼續進行其他操作。
3、publish/subscribe 發布/訂閱：這種類型的中間件監視和發布相關信息給訂閱者。
4、ORB 對象請求代理：它可以在一個面向對象的系統中（OO system)建立對象之間的client/server關系。通過ORB，一個client可以透明的引用同一臺機器上或網絡上的一個server對象的方法。
5、SQL-oriented Data Access 應用程序和數據庫服務之間的中間件
6其他的如下：
TP monitors 事物處理監視器：用于分布式系統
application servers 應用服務：安裝在一臺計算機上用來實現幫助其他應用服務
ESB 企業服務總線：抽取出來的東東，SOA中。。