Open source and Proprietary Software

Open source and Proprietary Software

Firmware

• Firmware is software substituted for hardware and stored in read-only memory
• Firmware technology has enabled production of various types of smart machines having microprocessor chips with embedded software

Middleware

• Basic idea is to have a separate software layer to:
  • Act as “glue” between client and server parts of application
  • Provide programming abstraction
  • Mask heterogeneity of underlying network, hardware, and OS
• Encourages three-tier software architecture against two- tier popularized by Server-Client architecture