data distribution system is based on exchange of asynchronous messages

The system has communication objects providing a programming interface to exchange messages, where one of the communication objects is broken down into a component having the programming interface, and another component controlling information related to the former component and providing operations responsible for functionalities reconfigurable during runtime. Each object includes a mechanism for sending a reconfiguration request during runtime to the latter component, so as to allow reconfiguration of a functionality associated with the communication object. An independent claim is also included for a method for reconfiguring functionalities, during runtime on a communication network, in a data distribution system based on the exchange of asynchronous messages in publication/subscription mode.