Middleware is a type of computer software that connects other types of software and applications together. It contains services that allow different components and processes that are running to interact at the same time. This allows the computer to run at a more efficient speed. In other words, middleware allows for the data that is found in database to be transferred and used in another database.

Another use for it – or definition for it – is that it connects an operating system on one side and an application on the other side. This, in theory, makes it possible for the operating system to pass information along to the applications and then for the applications to pass information back to the operating system.

Where did Middleware Come From?

Middleware has been around since 1968; however, it didn't begin to gain traction until the 1980s. As new applications were being created, what companies were having a hard time doing was connecting these new applications to older legacies. This created a problem because the old legacies were not quite obsolete, but the new applications were beneficial to their clients. Therefore, what they did was created this software (middleware) to bridge the two.

Types of Middleware

There are a handful of different types of middleware. They are grouped based on what sort of a connection they provide. These types of Middleware are:

  • Remote Procedure Call: Calls by client are made to the procedures running on remote systems.
  • Message Oriented Middleware: Messages are stored until they are needed by the client.
  • Object Request Broker: Makes it possible for applications to send objects and request them.
  • SQL-oriented Data Access: Middleware that is between a database servers and the applications on them.
  • Embedded Middleware: Connection between embedded applications and the real time operating system.