Formally, CORBA 2 and CORBA 3 refer to complete releases of the

entire CORBA specification. However, because OMG increments the

major release number only when they make a significant addition to
the architecture, these phrases become a sort of shorthand for just the
significant addition. So, "CORBA 2" sometimes refers to CORBA
interoperability and the IIOP protocol, and "CORBA 3" sometimes refers
to the CORBA Component Model (even though the term CORBA 3 really
refers to a suite of ten specifications!). It's easy to tell, from the
context, which meaning an author intends

CORBA 2.x vs CORBA 3.0 CCM

CCM adds first class component model to CORBA2.x object model.
Moreover, CCM adds a sophisticated runtime environment for software
components (C++, Java) and fully standardized support for assembly
and deployment. An application server based on CCM such as K2
Component Server provides a uniform component environment. This is
a difference to a pure CORBA application, where the ORB exists only
virtually as part of two or more CORBA enabled applications.

A component server (CCM server) is a single or a set of real executable

constructs (programs) managing and running components, whereas
the components itself are no "normal" executables anymore i.e. they
can only be executed within the CCM server. That means a CORBA
component must implement certain mandatory interfaces and
mechanism so that server can handle it. It has to fit/adjust to the
framework, so to say. Of course, the component must also implement
arbitrary and "uncensored" interfaces to implement its actual
functionality.
The table below summarizes the new features in CORBA 3.0 CCM:

# Key Features CORBA 2.x CORBA 3.0 CCM

New Features
1 Component Model (CCM)
2 OMG CIDL
3 Component Implementation
Framework
4 Container Programming
Model
5 Packaging
6 Assembly
7 Deployment
8 Interface Repository
Metamodel
9 CCM - EJB Interworking
Enhancements in CORBA 3.0 CORBA Component Model (CCM)
10 OMG IDL Object IDL Component IDL:
with new
keywords such as
"components",
"supports",
"uses",
"consumes" etc
have been added
11 Interface Repository Object Interface Essential
Repository "Component
Interface
Repository
 Interfaces" have
been added for
managing state-
of-the-art
components

Component Categories

The component categories are defined as valid combination of external

API types, container type and CORBA usage model and can be
summarized as follows:

Component CORBA Container Primary

Categories Usage Model API Type Key
Service Stateless Session No
Session Conversational Session No
Process Durable Entity No
Entity Durable Entity Yes