Distributed Operation Language for Specification and Processing of Multidatabase Applications

In this paper we address the problem of interconnecting multiple hardware and software systems in a heterogeneous environment. In many large organizations, multiple software systems (databases, application programs with their dedicated files, etc.) exit and we not only must provide access to all the information stored in these systems, but also we must allow them to cooperate by exchanging the data and synchronizing their execution. The proposed solution is based on a Distributed Operation Language. We define a common communication and data exchange protocol that uses STUB processes to protect the autonomy of participating software systems. Our solution is modular and can be implemented in a heterogeneous hardware and software environment, using different operating systems and different network protocols. The paper describes the design of the language and its implementation, in the context of a multidatabase system.