ABSTRACT
Interoperability issues have become a major concern within computing environments in the last decade. The use of computers has grown beyond specialized, isolated applications and produced a need to exchange information and other resources between computer systems-and eventually-computer users. Interoperability refers in general to the ability of various autonomous systems to bring together parts and to operate in collaboration. In most cases this means the exchange of meaningful information. Within computing environments there are many different aspects of interoperability, such as:
• Independent applications A and B running on the same machine and operating system, i.e., interoperability through a common hardware interface.
