Editing Object request broker (section)

== Overview ==
ORBs assumed to handle the transformation of in-process data structures to and from the raw byte sequence, which is transmitted over the network.  This is called [[Marshalling (computer science)|marshalling]] or [[serialization]].  In addition to marshalling data, ORBs often expose many more features, such as [[distributed transactions]], [[directory services]] or real-time scheduling.  Some ORBs, such as [[CORBA]]-compliant systems, use an [[interface description language]] to describe the data that is to be transmitted on remote calls.<ref name="ibm-orb">{{cite web
 | url = http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v8r5/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.websphere.express.doc%2Fae%2Ftorb_ep2.html
 | title = Object Request Brokers
 | date = 2013-11-05 | access-date = 2013-12-22
 | publisher = [[IBM]]
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 | url = http://www.cs.wustl.edu/~schmidt/corba-overview.html
 | title = Overview of CORBA
 | date = 2006-09-28 | access-date = 2013-12-22
 | publisher = wustl.edu
}}</ref>

In [[object-oriented language]]s (e.g. [[Java_(programming_language)|Java]]), an ORB actually provides a [[Software framework|framework]] which enables remote objects to be used over the network, in the same way as if they were local and part of the same [[Process (computing)|process]].  On the client side, so-called ''stub'' objects are created and invoked, serving as the only part visible and used inside the client application.  After the stub's methods are invoked, the client-side ORB performs the marshalling of invocation data, and forwards the request to the server-side ORB.  On the server side, ORB locates the targeted object, executes the requested operation, and returns the results.  Having the results available, the client's ORB performs the demarshalling and passes the results back into the invoked stub, making them available to the client application.  The whole process is transparent, resulting in remote objects appearing as if they were local.<ref name="ibm-orb" />