What is Orbix in a distributed system?

Could you please elaborate on what Orbix is in the context of a distributed system? I'm curious to understand its role, functionalities, and how it fits into the overall architecture of a distributed system. Is Orbix a software framework, a middleware, or something else entirely? How does it facilitate communication and interaction between the various components of a distributed system? I'd appreciate it if you could provide a concise yet informative description of Orbix in this regard.