The eagerly awaited Pattern-Oriented Software Architecture (POSA) Volume 4 is about a pattern language for distributed computing. The authors will guide you through the best practices and introduce you to key areas of building distributed software systems. POSA 4 connects many stand-alone patterns, pattern collections and pattern languages from the existing body of literature found in the POSA series. Such patterns relate to and are useful for distributed computing to a single language. The panel of experts provides you with a consistent and coherent holistic view on the craft of building distributed systems. Includes a foreword by Martin Fowler A must read for practitioners who want practical advice to develop a comprehensive language integrating patterns from key literature.

Table of Contents:
Foreword xv About This Book xvii About The Authors xxiii Guide To The Reader xxvii Part I Some Concepts 1 1 On Patterns and Pattern Languages 3 1.1 Patterns Introduced 4 1.2 Inside Patterns 6 1.3 Between Patterns 10 1.4 Into Pattern Languages 13 1.5 Patterns Connected 15 2 On Distributed Systems 17 2.1 Benefits of Distribution 18 2.2 Challenges of Distribution 20 2.3 Technologies for Supporting Distribution 22 2.4 Limitations of Middleware 32 3 On the Pattern Language 33 3.1 Intent, Scope, and Audience 34 3.2 Origins and Genesis 35 3.3 Structure and Content 36 3.4 Presentation 44 3.5 Practical Use 49 Part II A Story 53 4 Warehouse Management Process Control 57 4.1 System Scope 58 4.2 Warehouse Management Process Control 60 5 Baseline Architecture 65 5.1 Architecture Context 66 5.2 Partitioning the Big Ball of Mud 67 5.3 Decomposing the Layers 68 5.4 Accessing Domain Object Functionality 71 5.5 Bridging the Network 72 5.6 Separating User Interfaces 76 5.7 Distributing Functionality 79 5.8 Supporting Concurrent Domain Object Access 82 5.9 Achieving Scalable Concurrency 85 5.10 Crossing the Object-Oriented/Relational Divide 87 5.11 Configuring Domain Objects at Runtime 89 5.12 Baseline Architecture Summary 90 6 Communication Middleware 95 6.1 A Middleware Architecture for Distributed Systems 96 6.2 Structuring the Internal Design of the Middleware 100 6.3 Encapsulating Low-level System Mechanisms 103 6.4 Demultiplexing ORB Core Events 105 6.5 Managing ORB Connections 108 6.6 Enhancing ORB Scalability 111 6.7 Implementing a Synchronized Request Queue 114 6.8 Interchangeable Internal ORB Mechanisms 116 6.9 Consolidating ORB Strategies 118 6.10 Dynamic Configuration of ORBs 121 6.11 Communication Middleware Summary 124 7 Warehouse Topology 129 7.1 Warehouse Topology Baseline 130 7.2 Representing Hierarchical Storage 131 7.3 Navigating the Storage Hierarchy 133 7.4 Modeling Storage Properties 135 7.5 Varying Storage Behavior 137 7.6 Realizing Global Functionality 140 7.7 Traversing the Warehouse Topology 142 7.8 Supporting Control Flow Extensions 144 7.9 Connecting to the Database 146 7.10 Maintaining In-Memory Storage Data 147 7.11 Configuring the Warehouse Topology 149 7.12 Detailing the Explicit Interface 151 7.13 Warehouse Topology Summary 153 8 The Story Behind The Pattern Story 157 Part III The Language 163 9 From Mud To Structure 167 Domain Model ** 182 Layers ** 185 Model-View-Controller ** 188 Presentation-Abstraction-Control 191 Microkernel ** 194 Reflection * 197 Pipes and Filters ** 200 Shared Repository ** 202 Blackboard 205 Domain Object ** 208 10 Distribution Infrastructure 211 Messaging ** 221 Message Channel ** 224 Message Endpoint ** 227 Message Translator ** 229 Message Router ** 231 Publisher-Subscriber ** 234 Broker ** 237 Client Proxy ** 240 Requestor ** 242 Invoker ** 244 Client Request Handler ** 246 Server Request Handler ** 249 11 Event Demultiplexing and Dispatching 253 Reactor ** 259 Proactor * 262 Acceptor-Connector ** 265 Asynchronous Completion Token ** 268 12 Interface Partitioning 271 Explicit Interface ** 281 Extension Interface ** 284 Introspective Interface ** 286 Dynamic Invocation Interface * 288 Proxy ** 290 Business Delegate ** 292 Facade ** 294 Combined Method ** 296 Iterator ** 298 Enumeration Method ** 300 Batch Method ** 302 13 Component Partitioning 305 Encapsulated Implementation ** 313 Whole-Part ** 317 Composite ** 319 Master-Slave * 321 Half-Object plus Protocol ** 324 Replicated Component Group * 326 14 Application Control 329 Page Controller ** 337 Front Controller ** 339 Application Controller ** 341 Command Processor ** 343 Template View ** 345 Transform View ** 347 Firewall Proxy ** 349 Authorization ** 351 15 Concurrency 353 Half-Sync/Half-Async ** 359 Leader/Followers ** 362 Active Object ** 365 Monitor Object ** 368 16 Synchronization 371 Guarded Suspension ** 380 Future ** 382 Thread-Safe Interface * 384 Double-Checked Locking 386 Strategized Locking ** 388 Scoped Locking ** 390 Thread-Specific Storage 392 Copied Value ** 394 Immutable Value ** 396 17 Object Interaction 399 Observer ** 405 Double Dispatch ** 408 Mediator * 410 Command ** 412 Memento ** 414 Context Object ** 416 Data Transfer Object ** 418 Message ** 420 18 Adaptation and Extension 423 Bridge ** 436 Object Adapter ** 438 Chain of Responsibility * 440 Interpreter 442 Interceptor ** 444 Visitor ** 447 Decorator 449 Execute-Around Object ** 451 Template Method * 453 Strategy ** 455 Null Object ** 457 Wrapper Facade ** 459 Declarative Component Configuration * 461 19 Modal Behavior 463 Objects for States * 467 Methods for States * 469 Collections for States ** 471 20 Resource Management 473 Container * 488 Component Configurator * 490 Object Manager ** 492 Lookup ** 495 Virtual Proxy ** 497 Lifecycle Callback ** 499 Task Coordinator * 501 Resource Pool ** 503 Resource Cache ** 505 Lazy Acquisition ** 507 Eager Acquisition ** 509 Partial Acquisition * 511 Activator ** 513 Evictor ** 515 Leasing ** 517 Automated Garbage Collection ** 519 Counting Handle ** 522 Abstract Factory ** 525 Builder * 527 Factory Method ** 529 Disposal Method ** 531 21 Database Access 533 Database Access Layer ** 538 Data Mapper ** 540 Row Data Gateway ** 542 Table Data Gateway ** 544 Active Record 546 22 A Departing Thought 549 Glossary 553 References 573 Index of Patterns 587 Index of Names 593 Subject Index 595