Towards Wide-Area Distributed Interfaces

Abstract

We use our implementation of a distributed interface for digital libraries to explain several design alternatives for distributed Web applications. Our focus is on an analysis of how functionality should be distributed between clients and servers. Based on our prototype and related performance results, we conclude that it is useful to move some user interface related functionality from server to client, but that the bulk of functionality can and should remain with the UI server. We also argue that at least a minimal set of CORBA features, namely method call semantics and separation of interface and implementation specification, are useful enough to consider for future inclusion in World-Wide Web standards. Beyond that, our experience shows that asychronous method calls with guaranteed, in-sequence delivery would be highly desirable.