Abstract: A component server architecture is provided that enables consumer nodes of a computer network to interact with heterogeneous software components and services distributed throughout the network, as well as network devices and data. Distributed interaction between a consumer and heterogeneous software is achieved, in part, by registering and locating the components and services (hereafter referred to collectively as components). An object-neutral global component registry with access controls of the architecture interoperates with a component management service (CMS) to transparently ensure proper administration, authentication and run-time binding access to components offered in response to requests from applications executing on the consumer nodes. The architecture is implemented on a component server node of the network that is configured to communicate with the consumer, i.e., client, nodes in client-server computing arrangements.