Object-Orientation FAQ

From: Randy Volters <randy.volters@columbiasc.ncr.com>
Subject: re-post: NCR Cooperative Frameworks (new phone no.)

November 19, 1993

NCR ANNOUNCES BETA AVAILABILITY
OF 'Cooperative Frameworks' --
a Distributed Object Foundation

Product Background -
NCR Cooperative Frameworks(TM) were first released for sale
in 10/1991 as "the frameworks" part of the NCR COOPERATION(TM)
product, and are based on NCR's submission to OMG.
Cooperative Frameworks release 3.0 makes the product
available apart from COOPERATION. 

Product Description -
Cooperative Frameworks is a distributed object foundation
for building computing applications and services on networks
of heterogeneous computers.

Cooperative Frameworks consists of an integrated suite of
C++ class libraries that:

	-	defines and implements a comprehensive enterprise
		architecture and methodology for creating
		distributed implementations of C++ classes over
		networks

	-	allows customers to build and use object services
		over a network 

	-	supports TCP/IP, NetBIOS, Lan Manager NetBEUI and
		OSI protocols, X.25

NCR Cooperative Frameworks currently has two portable ORB
toolkits (others are planned for future release) --
(1) C++ ORB toolkit consisting of over 300 C++ classes and
    runtime libraries

(2) CORBA 1.1 toolkit  Both are for:

	-	wrapping existing databases and legacy
		applications for improved availability
		and maintainability on systems of heterogeneous
		computers, operating systems and networks

	-	building next-generation, object-oriented,
		distributed computing applications for
		networks of heterogeneous computers, operating
		systems and network operating systems

Cooperative Frameworks come with predefined object services
for implementing distributed systems:

	-	Naming - network implementation of X.500 directory
		provides object naming service

	-	Logging - provides local and server based error
		logging

	-	Fine-grain Data Management - class libraries are
		designed around fine grained objects, developers can
		build distributed objects as large or as small as
		needed

	-	Persistence - the same object stream model for
		communication between internal ORB functions is used to
		support object persistence.  Persistent objects can be
		files, relational or object databases

	-	Dynamic Service Location - provides a mechanism for
		registering services and entities in a distributed
		system and invoking targeted services based on service
		characteristics -- rather than names

	-	Dynamic Service Activation - provides a mechanism for
		object activation when method invocations are required,
		and deactivation when not needed

	-	Event Service (Release 3.1) - Implements an OMG/JOSS
		compliant event service

	-	Network Configuration Tools - simplifies creation of
		directory entries required for cross domain operation
		in a multiple domain heterogeneous network.

NCR Cooperative Frameworks run on multiple UNIX platforms,
including HP-UX, Sun Solaris, NCR 3000 UNIX and NCR
StarServer UNIX SVR4; and on MS Windows 3.1.  Cooperative
Frameworks has been demonstrated on Novell NetWare v3.11,
and was originally developed on MS OS/2 v1.x.  Development
environments supported include CFRONT and C++ Workbench from
NCR, HP Softbench Sun SPARCworks and Borland IDE.

Implementation - implementation is for client/server system
architectures as a set of DLL and shared libraries

Languages used for IDL mapping - IDL bindings for C, (or
object services can be implemented directly in C++)

Release date - Release 3.0 is available now to early
developers with general availability set for December, 1993;
Release 3.1 will be available to early developers 1Q 1994
with general availability set for 2Q 1994

Product interoperability - Full interoperability between NCR
Cooperative Framework implementations on supported platforms
is available now; interoperability with selected CORBA 1.1
ORBs and CORBA 2.0 ORBs is planned

Company Name -
NCR Corporation (An AT&T Company)

Address --	Software Products Division-Columbia
			3245 Platt Springs Road
			West Columbia SC 29170

			Phone
			(803) 939-7500
			FAX
			(803) 939-7745
			Contact Name
			Randy Volters, Sr. Product Manager
			Cooperative Frameworks
			Email: Randy.Volters@ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM
			Ext. 7774

Company Description -
NCR, AT&T's computer business, brings computing and
communications solutions together to provide people easy
access to information and to each other -- anytime,
anywhere.