Key Features

MICO filter object framework has certain key advantages over existing filter implementations. These are listed below:

1. The existing software can be evolved with minimal change in code and in most cases no change what-so-ever.
2. All the filtering properties, essential as well as extended, have been implemented.
3. Multiple methods can filter a single server method, though, at a time, at most only one is enabled.
4. Filter methods need not comply to any naming rules, thus giving more flexibility to the filter developer. The methods though need to have a compatible signature.

There are certain limitations of the current implementation. The current implementation is designed for intercepting only static invocations on server objects using the Basic Object Adapter (BOA). It does not intercept dynamic invocations made using the dynamic invocation interface (DII). Since the server-filter mappings are maintained at the server-side, every invocation has go through the server first, before the appropriate filter method is called. Logically, though, the filtering semantics are retained using this strategy, its leads to some finite overheads. There might be cases where all the filter methods corresponding to a server method are disabled. Even in such case, an invocation of that method is redirected to the filter, leading to unnecessary overheads.