Design and implementation of a three-tiered web-based inventory ordering and tracking system prototype using Corba and JAVA

Abstract

Many enterprises are still running and maintaining several operating system and platform dependent legacy applications. The variety of platforms and operating systems poses a challenge to system-wide interoperability and performance, increases the cost of maintenance, locks enterprises into certain vendors, and leads to a lack of an adequate information infrastructure which results in a waste of computer resources, manpower, and time. In this thesis, we have designed and implemented a component-based three-tiered Web-based Inventory Ordering and Tracking System (IOTS) prototype that demonstrates the technical feasibility of making an enterprise's applications both interoperable and salable on a system composed of multiple platforms and different operating systems. The prototype uses CORBA, an industry-backed, non-proprietary, standard-based distributed architecture and Java, a high-level object-oriented language that enables enterprises to leverage the use of the Internet and benefit from the enhancements in the client/server and the decrease in the prices of desktop computers. The prototype demonstrates how to overcome the problem of the stateless nature of HTTP and build the Object Web where Java applets run on the IIOP. The prototype's source code can be tailored to some specific business requirements and enterprises having problems similar to those addressed may benefit from this research and adopt, its development methodology