What is COM+ (Component Object Model plus)? Extended version of COM provides advanced functionality

Explanation of IT Terms

What is COM+ (Component Object Model plus)?

COM+ (Component Object Model plus) is an extended version of COM (Component Object Model) that provides advanced functionality for developing and running component-based software applications on the Windows platform. It was first introduced by Microsoft with the Windows 2000 operating system.

COM+ builds upon the foundations of COM, which is a binary-interface standard for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in the early 1990s. COM allows software components to communicate with each other and with the underlying operating system through a set of defined interfaces and protocols.

With COM+, Microsoft aimed to enhance the capabilities and features offered by COM. This was achieved by introducing a variety of new services and features to streamline the development and deployment of components. These additional functionalities made it easier to develop, debug, deploy, and manage complex software systems.

Key Features of COM+

1. Object Pooling: COM+ introduced object pooling, allowing components to be created and kept in a pool. This enables efficient reuse of objects, reducing the overhead of object creation and enhancing system performance.

2. Object Construction: COM+ provides support for complex object construction and initialization. This allows components to be created with various initialization parameters, enhancing the flexibility and configurability of software systems.

3. Role-Based Security: COM+ introduced a role-based security model, allowing developers to specify access permissions and privileges based on roles. This enables fine-grained control over the security of component-based applications.

4. Queued Components: COM+ added support for queued components, which allows clients to asynchronously invoke components and queue requests for delayed execution. This enables the development of scalable and responsive systems.

5. Distributed Transactions: COM+ provides support for distributed transactions, allowing components to participate in distributed transactions spanning multiple resources and systems. This ensures that data integrity is maintained across multiple operations.

Benefits of COM+

The extended functionality provided by COM+ brings several benefits to software developers and system administrators:

1. Productivity: COM+ simplifies the development process by offering higher-level abstractions and built-in services. This reduces the amount of custom code developers need to write, enhancing productivity and minimizing development time.

2. Scalability: The pooling and queuing features of COM+ improve the scalability of component-based applications. Object pooling allows efficient resource utilization, while queued components enable the handling of high transaction volumes.

3. Security: The role-based security model in COM+ provides more granular control over access permissions, making it easier to secure component-based applications. This helps protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access.

4. Reliability: COM+ supports distributed transactions, ensuring data integrity across multiple operations and resources. This improves the reliability of component-based systems and reduces the risk of data corruption.

In Conclusion

COM+ is an extended version of the Component Object Model (COM) that provides advanced functionality for developing and running component-based software applications on the Windows platform. With features like object pooling, role-based security, and distributed transactions, COM+ enhances productivity, scalability, security, and reliability. It is a valuable technology for building robust and efficient software systems.

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