Posted by
CmdrTaco
on from the from-the-research-center-that-brought-us-everything-else dept.
Sandeep writes " PARC announces a new software architecture , named Obje, to establish a device-independent networking system. Essentially, it allows two devices to teach each other how to talk amongst themselves. It does this by sending actual code over the network."
Re:Sounds Like Sun's JINI
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Q. How is the Obje interoperability platform different from UPnP? Jini? A. The key difference between the Obje technology and other approaches to interoperability is that Obje does not require prior agreement on domain specific interfaces--the protocols, encodings, and standards used to communicate with specific types of devices. Other technologies, including UPnP, Jini, HAVi and Bluetooth, each define specialized interfaces for each new type of device: Bluetooth defines "profiles" for phones, headsets and printers; Jini defines APIs for printers and cameras; the UPnP consortium defines interfaces for audio/visual devices, scanners and home appliances; HAVi defines APIs for DVD and CD players, printers, cameras and TVs.
The problem with such approaches is that software must be recoded to address each specific type of device that it is expected to work with. For example, an application written to use UPnP media servers will not be able to use UPnP scanners (much less devices implemented under other standards) without re-implementation.
With Obje, devices and applications are written once, against a small, fixed set of meta-interfaces, which allow them to acquire any needed communication capabilities at runtime. These meta-interfaces abstract the protocols and communication standards used by specific devices so that, at runtime, a device can provide its communication specifics to the entity that wants to use it, with no reprogramming of existing services. This allows users and manufacturers to "recombine" devices and services at will, without waiting for slow-moving standards bodies. This ability is unique to Obje.
Slashdot Mirror
Q. How is the Obje interoperability platform different from UPnP? Jini?
A. The key difference between the Obje technology and other approaches to interoperability is that Obje does not require prior agreement on domain specific interfaces--the protocols, encodings, and standards used to communicate with specific types of devices. Other technologies, including UPnP, Jini, HAVi and Bluetooth, each define specialized interfaces for each new type of device: Bluetooth defines "profiles" for phones, headsets and printers; Jini defines APIs for printers and cameras; the UPnP consortium defines interfaces for audio/visual devices, scanners and home appliances; HAVi defines APIs for DVD and CD players, printers, cameras and TVs.
The problem with such approaches is that software must be recoded to address each specific type of device that it is expected to work with. For example, an application written to use UPnP media servers will not be able to use UPnP scanners (much less devices implemented under other standards) without re-implementation.
With Obje, devices and applications are written once, against a small, fixed set of meta-interfaces, which allow them to acquire any needed communication capabilities at runtime. These meta-interfaces abstract the protocols and communication standards used by specific devices so that, at runtime, a device can provide its communication specifics to the entity that wants to use it, with no reprogramming of existing services. This allows users and manufacturers to "recombine" devices and services at will, without waiting for slow-moving standards bodies. This ability is unique to Obje.