ORB is Object Request Broker.
It is a middleware that uses CORBA specification. It take care of all the details involve in routing a request from client to object, and routing response to its destination.
ORB is the custodian of the Interface Repository (IFR), an OMG standardized distributed database containing IDL interface definition.
On the client side:
- ORB provide interface definition from the IFR
- Construct invocations for use with the Dynamic Invocation Interface (DII),
- Convert Object References between session and stringifield format
- Convert URL-format corbaloc and corbaname object references to session references.
On the server side:
- Same as above process. Plus,
- ORB deactivates inactive objects.
- Re-activates object whenever request come in.
- Activate and De-activates in the way that uses resources best.
ORB, wow!
