AMBO UNIVERSITY

HACHALU HUNDESSA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CAMPUS

SCHOOL: - INFORMATICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT: - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT OF WIRELESS AND MOBILE COMPUTING

TITLE: - MIDDLEWARE TECHNOLOGY

BY:- GADISA GEMECHU

ID: PGR/68878/15

Submitted to: Dr. Karthikeyan Kaliyaperumal

Nov 30, 2023

Ambo, Ethiopia
Contents
1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................3
2. Types of Middleware Technology............................................................................................................4
2.1 Message-oriented middleware (MOM):............................................................................................4
2.2 Remote Procedure Call (RPC) middleware.........................................................................................4
2.3. Database middleware.......................................................................................................................5
2.4. Web middleware..............................................................................................................................6
2.5. Transaction processing middleware.................................................................................................6
3. BENEFITS OF MIDDLEWARE TECHNOLOGY..............................................................................................8
3.1 Interoperability..................................................................................................................................8
3.2 Abstraction........................................................................................................................................8
3.3 Scalability...........................................................................................................................................8
3.4. Security.............................................................................................................................................8
3.5. Flexibility and Modularity.................................................................................................................8
3.6. Message-based Communication.......................................................................................................8
3.7. Integration of Legacy Systems..........................................................................................................8
3.8. Monitoring and Management..........................................................................................................9
4. Challenges in Middleware Technology In Software Development...........................................................9
5. Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................10
6. Reference..............................................................................................................................................11
 1. Introduction
Middleware refers to software that acts as a bridge or intermediary between different
applications, systems, or components within a computing environment. It plays a crucial role in
facilitating communication, integration, and interoperability between various software
components. Middleware is designed to simplify the development, deployment, and management
of complex distributed systems by abstracting the underlying complexities of the underlying
infrastructure and providing a unified interface for different software components to interact with
each other. It acts as glue that connects disparate components together, enabling seamless
communication and data exchange.

Middleware technology refers to a software layer that sits between different applications,
systems, or components to facilitate communication and integration. It acts as a bridge, enabling
seamless interaction and data exchange between various software components, regardless of their
different architectures, platforms, or programming languages.

The primary purpose of middleware is to abstract the complexities of distributed systems and
provide a standardized interface for communication. It allows applications to communicate with
each other, share data, and coordinate their activities in a reliable and efficient manner.
 2. Types of Middleware Technology
There are various types of middleware, each serving different purposes and operating at different
levels of the software stack. Some common types of middleware include:

2.1 Message-oriented middleware (MOM): MOM facilitates asynchronous

communication and message passing between distributed components. It ensures reliable
delivery of messages, supports different messaging patterns (such as point-to-point and
publish-subscribe), and enables decoupling of senders and receivers.

Key function of Message-oriented middleware (MOM):

Asynchronous Communication: MOM enables communication between components

in an asynchronous manner. Instead of establishing direct connections or relying on
immediate responses, components send and receive messages through a middleware
layer. This approach allows components to operate independently, without waiting for
immediate responses, enhancing system flexibility and responsiveness.

Message Queues: MOM typically uses message queues as a fundamental mechanism

for storing and delivering messages. Messages are sent to a queue by the sender and
retrieved by the recipient(s) when they are ready to process them.

Reliable Message Delivery: MOM ensures reliable message delivery by employing

various mechanisms such as acknowledgments, retries, and persistence. When a
message is sent, the sender can receive an acknowledgment to confirm that the
message has been received and processed successfully. If a failure occurs during
transmission, MOM can retry the delivery or persist the message until the recipient is
available.

Messaging Patterns: MOM supports different messaging patterns to cater to various

communication requirements. The most common patterns include point-to-point and
publish-subscribe.

2.2 Remote Procedure Call (RPC) middleware : RPC middleware enables

communication between software components across a network by allowing them to
invoke procedures or methods on remote systems as if they were local. It abstracts the
complexities of network communication and provides a transparent mechanism for
remote invocation.
 Key function of RPC in middleware technology:

Communication Protocol: RPC relies on a communication protocol to facilitate the

exchange of data between the client and server. Common protocols used in RPC
include TCP/IP, HTTP, and message queue protocols like AMQP or MQTT.

Client-Server Model: RPC follows a client-server model, where the client initiates the
RPC request, and the server provides the requested service. The client makes a
procedure call as if it were invoking a local function, and the RPC middleware
handles the details of remote communication.

Interface Definition: To ensure interoperability between the client and server, an

interface definition is used. This definition specifies the methods or procedures that
can be invoked, along with their parameters and return types. Interface definition
languages like IDL (Interface Definition Language) or Protocol Buffers are used to
describe the interface.

Stub/Skeleton Generation: Based on the interface definition, the RPC middleware

generates stubs (client-side) and skeletons (server-side). These stubs and skeletons
abstract the network communication details from the application code. The client-side
stub marshals the procedure parameters, sends them over the network, and waits for
the server to return the result. The server-side skeleton receives the request,
unmarshals the parameters, executes the procedure, and sends the result back to the
client.

2.3. Database middleware: Database middleware provides an abstraction layer

between applications and databases. It handles tasks such as connection pooling, query
optimization, and data caching, thereby improving performance and scalability of
database operations.

Key function of database middleware:

Functionality: Database middleware offers several functions to enhance the

interaction between applications and databases. These functions include connection
management, query optimization, caching, data transformation, security, transaction
management, and error handling.

Connection Management: Middleware handles the establishment and management of

connections between the application and the database. It provides connection pooling,
which allows multiple application instances to share a pool of database connections,
improving performance and resource utilization.
 Query Optimization: Middleware optimizes database queries to enhance performance.
It analyzes the application's SQL queries, rewrites them if necessary, and optimizes
the execution plan to reduce response times and improve overall efficiency.

Caching: Database middleware often includes caching mechanisms to improve

application performance. Frequently accessed data can be stored in an in-memory
cache, reducing the need for repeated database queries and improving response times.

Data Transformation: Middleware can transform data between different formats or

structures. It can handle data conversions, such as translating data between different
character encodings or converting data into the appropriate format for the application.

Security: Database middleware often provides security features to protect the integrity
and confidentiality of data. It can handle authentication and authorization, ensuring
that only authorized users can access the database and enforcing access controls.

2.4. Web middleware:

Web middleware is used for developing web applications and services. It provides
functionality such as request routing, authentication, session management, and caching.
Examples of web middleware include web servers, application servers, and frameworks
like Django and Express.js

Key aspects and features of web middleware:

Request processing: Middleware intercepts incoming HTTP requests before they

reach the application or framework. It can perform various operations on the request,
such as parsing request parameters, validating input, or inspecting headers.

Response processing: Similarly, middleware can intercept and modify the HTTP
response generated by the application. It can add headers, transform the response
data, or handle errors and exceptions in a consistent manner.

Chain of responsibility: Middleware is typically organized in a chain or pipeline,

where each middleware component has the opportunity to process the request and
response in turn. The order of middleware execution is usually configurable and
determines the flow of request and response processing.

Reusability and modularity: Middleware promotes code reusability and modularity by

enabling developers to encapsulate specific functionality in separate middleware
components. These components can be shared across multiple applications or easily
swapped in or out to modify the behavior of an application.
 2.5. Transaction processing middleware

Transaction processing middleware ensures the consistency and reliability of distributed

transactions across multiple systems or databases. It manages the coordination,
synchronization, and recovery of transactions, allowing them to be executed atomically
and reliably.

Functionalities of transaction processing middleware:

Transaction Management: TP middleware provides transaction management

capabilities, allowing applications to initiate, commit, or roll back transactions. It
ensures that all the participating systems or resources either complete the entire
transaction successfully or roll back to the original state if any failure occurs.

Transaction Coordination: TP middleware coordinates the flow of transactions

between different systems or components. It ensures that all the participating
resources are synchronized and that the transactional integrity is maintained across
distributed environments.

Resource Access and Integration: TP middleware provides a unified interface for

accessing and integrating various resources and services involved in a transaction. It
abstracts the complexity of different protocols, data formats, and communication
mechanisms, enabling applications to interact with diverse systems seamlessly.

Atomicity and Consistency: TP middleware enforces the principles of atomicity and

consistency in transaction processing. Atomicity ensures that a transaction is treated
as a single unit of work, and all its operations are either executed entirely or not at all.
Consistency guarantees that the system remains in a valid state before and after the
transaction.

Concurrency Control: TP middleware employs concurrency control mechanisms to

manage concurrent access to shared resources. It prevents conflicts and ensures that
transactions are executed in an isolated and consistent manner, even when multiple
applications or users are accessing the same resources simultaneously.

Error Handling and Recovery: TP middleware handles errors and failures that may
occur during transaction processing. It provides mechanisms for error detection,
logging, and recovery, allowing the system to recover from failures and maintain data
integrity.

Scalability and Performance: TP middleware is designed to handle high-volume

transactional workloads and scale horizontally as the transactional demands increase.
It optimizes performance by efficiently managing transactional resources and
minimizing overhead.
 Security and Transactional Guarantees: TP middleware ensures the security and
confidentiality of transactions by providing authentication, authorization, and
encryption mechanisms. It also offers transactional guarantees, such as durability,
where committed transactions are persistently stored and recoverable in case of
system failures.

3. BENEFITS OF MIDDLEWARE TECHNOLOGY

Middleware technologies provide several benefits in the context of software development
and system integration. Here are some key advantages of using middleware:

3.1 Interoperability
Middleware enables communication and integration between different software
components, systems, and platforms that may use different programming languages,
protocols, or data formats. It acts as a bridge, allowing disparate systems to work together
seamlessly. This promotes interoperability and allows for the exchange of data and
services across heterogeneous environments.
3.2 Abstraction
Middleware provides an abstraction layer that hides the underlying complexities of the
underlying systems or technologies. It encapsulates the low-level implementation details
and provides a standardized interface or set of APIs for developers to work with. This
abstraction simplifies the development process by shielding developers from the
intricacies of various technologies and allows them to focus on the core business logic.

3.3 Scalability

Middleware often includes features and mechanisms to handle scalability challenges. It

provides load balancing, clustering, and distributed computing capabilities, allowing
systems to scale horizontally or vertically as demand increases. By distributing the
workload across multiple servers or processes, middleware helps improve performance,
increase throughput, and ensure high availability of applications.

3.4. Security

Middleware often includes security features to protect the integrity and confidentiality of
data exchanged between systems. It can provide authentication, authorization, encryption,
and data validation mechanisms. Middleware security features help enforce access
control, mitigate vulnerabilities, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
 3.5. Flexibility and Modularity

Middleware promotes flexibility and modularity in software architectures. It allows

systems to be composed of loosely coupled components that can be easily added,
removed, or replaced without affecting the entire system. This modular approach
simplifies maintenance, upgrades, and extensions, as changes can be isolated to specific
middleware components without impacting the entire system.

3.6. Message-based Communication

Many middleware technologies facilitate message-based communication between

applications or services. This asynchronous messaging model decouples senders and
receivers, enabling them to operate independently and at different speeds. It improves
system responsiveness, fault tolerance, and supports event-driven architectures.

3.7. Integration of Legacy Systems

Middleware can bridge the gap between legacy systems and modern technologies. It
enables legacy systems to participate in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) or micro
services ecosystem by exposing their functionalities as services. This integration allows
organizations to leverage existing investments in legacy systems while adopting new
technologies and architectures.

3.8. Monitoring and Management

Middleware often includes monitoring and management capabilities that provide

visibility into the system's performance, health, and usage patterns. These features enable
administrators to track system behavior, diagnose issues, and optimize performance.
Middleware may also include tools for logging, debugging, and performance tuning.

4. Challenges in Middleware Technology In Software Development.

Middleware technology in software development faces several challenges. Some of the
prominent challenges include:

1. Complexity: Middleware often operates in complex and heterogeneous environments. It needs

to integrate multiple systems, platforms, and technologies. Managing this complexity and
ensuring smooth communication and interoperability among various components can be
challenging.

2. Scalability and Performance: Middleware solutions need to handle increasing volumes of

data and user requests as systems grow. Ensuring scalability and high performance under heavy
loads can be challenging, requiring careful design and optimization.
3. Security: Middleware is a common target for security threats, as it sits between different
systems and facilitates data exchange. Protecting against unauthorized access, data breaches, and
ensuring secure communication across systems is a significant challenge.

4. Compatibility and Versioning: Middleware often needs to support different versions of

software components and deal with compatibility issues. Ensuring backward and forward
compatibility, managing versioning conflicts, and handling upgrades can be complex tasks.

5. Integration with Legacy Systems: Many organizations have existing legacy systems that
need to be integrated with new middleware solutions. Legacy systems may have different data
formats, protocols, or communication mechanisms, making integration challenging.

6. Monitoring and Debugging: Middleware solutions often operate in distributed and complex
environments, making it difficult to monitor and debug issues. Identifying and resolving
performance bottlenecks, communication failures, and other problems require sophisticated
monitoring tools and techniques.
 5. Conclusion
Middleware technologies play a crucial role in enabling interoperability, scalability, security, and
flexibility in complex software systems. They provide a standardized and efficient way to
integrate diverse applications and technologies, simplifying development, maintenance, and
integration efforts.
 6. Reference
1.Middleware Technologies: Architecture, Design and Implementation" by Prabhat K. Andleigh
and Michael L. Shooman.

2.Middleware and Enterprise Application Integration" by William Lee.

3. Service-Oriented Architecture: Concepts, Technology, and Design" by Thomas Erl.