
Details, Details, Details
The Open Blueprint describes a set of services needed to enable
applications in an open, distributed, heterogeneous environment.
These services don't need to exist on every platform in the
network, but they should be accessible from anywhere in the
network.

Figure 1. The Open Blueprint
It's the structure of the Open Blueprint that enables the
application and the user to view the network as if it were a
single system, with all resources on every platform in the
network available and accessible. Figure 1 describes the Open
Blueprint and its services. However, the Open Blueprint isn't as
monolithic and static as this view would indicate. Figure 2 shows
a "network of systems" in which each system could be thought of
as structured according to the Open Blueprint.
Figure 2. Network of Systems
The Open Blueprint promotes the integration of multivendor
systems and helps simplify the more cumbersome aspects of client/
server computing, such as multiple logons, multiple passwords,
and unique application directories for locating resources. These
key items provide a single-system view of the network.

The Open Blueprint has several sets of resource-management
services, including:
Network Services
- Common Transport Semantics support protocol-independent
communication in distributed networks.
- Transport Network Services provide the protocols for
transporting information from one system to another, such as
SNA/APPN, TCP/IP, OSI, NetBIOS, and IPX.
- Subnetworking provides functions dealing with specific
transmission facilities, such as various kinds of LANs, WANs,
channels, and emerging technologies such as ATM.
Distributed System Services
- Communication Services provide mechanisms for parts of
distributed applications to talk to each other.
- Object Management Services provide transparent access to local
and remote objects.
- Distribution Services assist the communication between parts of
distributed applications by providing required common functions
such as directory, security, recovery, etc.
Application Enabling Services
- Presentation Services define the interaction between parts of
distributed applications and the user.
- Application Services are common functions, such as mail, which
are available to all applications.
- Data Access Services allow applications to interact with
various types of data.
- Systems Management provides facilities for a system
administrator to manage the network and its systems.
- Local Operating Systems Services operate within the confines of
a single system -- for example, memory management and task
dispatching.
- Development Tools help the application developer implement
distributed applications that use the Open Blueprint services.
The Open Blueprint will evolve as new functions are defined and
new technologies become available. Its evolution will depend to a
great deal on object technology.
Objects are expected to become more prevalent in applications and
in system and network components. The coexistence of object and
procedural elements is accommodated in the Open Blueprint. Its
basic object-management services will be extended to satisfy both
transitional, mixed environments and full, object-oriented
environments. In addition, over time, many parts of the Open
Blueprint itself will use object technology.
The following publications provide more information on the Open
Blueprint:
- An Introduction to The Open Blueprint, G326-0395, IBM Corp.
- Open Blueprint Technical Overview, GC23-3808, IBM Corp.
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