Researchers at IBM are developing stream-based middleware intended to broaden query capabilities in distributed application environments.

SMILE (Smart Middleware Light Ends) technology enables stream-based queuing of information sets. For example, a query can be made that asks for the 20 most actively traded stocks in the last 10 minutes, with SMILE memorizing the state of events from the previous 10 minutes, according to Chitra Dorai, manager of Distributed Messaging at IBM Research.

"The SMILE system is a distributed stream-processing engine that processes messages in memory without requiring databases," Dorai said. SMILE also features a declarative programming model for distributed application programmers that relies on SQL

"SMILE takes SOA to a new level for two reasons," Bloomberg said in an e-mail. "First, it shifts the focus of service interaction away from request/response, and second, it illustrates that SOA and EDA [event-Driven architecture] shouldn't be different approaches, but rather SOA should fundamentally be event-driven."

Source: Yahoo NewsPrashanth RaiTag(s):SaaS, IBM