Aspect IX A Middleware for Aspect-Oriented Programming

Object-based middleware systems, like CORBA, provide the basis for object-based distributed applications. For aspects concerning distributed programming an aspect weaver has to generate code which interacts with the middleware system. As parts of these aspects often have to be implemented on top of the middleware, weavers are very dependent on the middle- ware system and on the implementations on top of it. This paper introduces a middleware called AspectIX that provides aspects as a generic mecha- nism to implement and control nonfunctional properties of a distributed object (e.g., properties related to the communication mechanisms used for a distributed object or the consistency poli- cies between replicated data parts of the distributed objects). AspectIX provides an open and generic interface to all of these nonfunctional aspects. Aspect configuration can be controlled and changed at run-time with an immediate effect on the distributed object. The AspectIX architecture allows implementations of a distributed AspectIX object to be dynam- ically replaced in order to fulfill a new aspect configuration. Thus, an AspectIX implementation is also open for new aspects.