Events in an RPC Based Distributed System

Jim Waldo, Ann Wollrath, Geoff Wyant, and Samuel C. Kendall
Sun Microsystems Laboratories

Abstract

We show how to build a distributed system al-
lowing objects to register interest in and receive no-
tifications of events in other objects. The system is
built on top of a pair of interfaces that are interest-
ing only in their extreme simplicity. We then
present a simple and efficient implementation of
these interfaces.
 
We then show how more complex functionality
can be introduced to the system by adding third-par-
ty services. These services can be added without
changing the simple interfaces, and without chang-
ing the objects in the system that do not need the
functionality of those services.
 
Finally, we note a number of open issues that re-
main, and attempt to draw some conclusions based
on the work.
 

To Become a USENIX Member, please see our Membership Information.