Type Management in Open Distributed Systems 
[Manuscript]
Toni Ruokolainen

Abstract

In traditional closed software systems, such as application frameworks or 
component libraries, reuse and interoperability of software artefacts is typically
supported by use of implicitly declared regulations over naming and typing 
hierachies. 

In open distributed systems, complex distributed applications are composed from 
services offered by autonomous service providers. 
Naming conventions, implementation technologies or service typing
structures can not be bound to a certain form because different service providers 
have different needs or strategies and these choices reflect to service typings, that is
naming of types and hierarchies of typing relations.

In this paper we will analyse the requirements for an explicit type management 
system; its theoretical foundations and infrastructure services. We will then introduce current
frameworks and technologies that are closely related, namely  the type repository functionality 
of Open Distributed Processing reference model and Meta Object Facility of Object Management Group. 
After this we shall introduce a type repository functionality for Service Oriented Computing
platforms, which is current "state of the art" -paradigm for implementing open 
and loosely coupled distributed applications.