CORBA's not boring yet. / XML in an OS?

[Ed Howland]

This brings up a related question regarding XML and interchanging data
between web servers. Is there something like IIOP for this? I mean an
overlaying protocol to establish, manage and break bi-direction XML traffic.

In my scenario, I want to develop a published specification (read DTD) to
provide all the details of accomplishing an order in an e-commerce
environment. In this case, business #1 (B1) wants to order material from
business #2 (B2). The web server at B1 uses some middle tier logic (Java) to
determine how to get to the right B2. B2 has a web site for individual
orders but can also take a standard order in XML (again, in my published
DTD). But how does it do that? In other words how do I push XML down the
server's throat?

I know that a form could be used on B2 that had a field that could be filled
in with a hlink back to the XML file on B1. Or the URL of B1's XML file
could be placed in some CGI parameter. Or some combination of FTP and CGI
could be used (in cases where the requirements of B1's server prohibit
retrieval of files this way (perhaps because of security.))

But it seems to me that this approach just utilizes normal HTTP, which seems
to be ill-designed in the way of bi-directional data flow. Is someone
working on an more elborate mechanism for this? Do we need a XIOP?

Just rambling....

Ed
Ed Howland
ed at dega.com
http://www.dega.com 
"As your attorney, I advise you to take some adrenalchrome"

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