RMI-IIOP

Java Remote Method Invocation ("Java RMI") technology run over Internet Inter-Orb Protocol ("RMI-IIOP") delivers Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) distributed computing capabilities to the Java 2 platform. Java RMI over IIOP was developed by Sun and IBM. The joint work by Sun and IBM to implement Object Management Group (OMG) standards demonstrates the spirit of collaboration that continually moves the Java platform forward.Java RMI over IIOP combines the best features of Java RMI technology with the best features of CORBA technology.

RMI-IIOP (read RMI over IIOP) denotes the Java RMI interface over the CORBA system.

This standard was created to simplify the development of CORBA applications, while preserving all major benefits. RMI-IIOP is largely based on the Object by Value concept that serves as a container or direct replacement for CORBA structures, unions, sequences, arrays and strings. The IDL is not used. Instead, the data structure definitions "supposed" automatically, collecting the necessary data via reflection mechanisms. When CORBA needs supplementary generated classes for each non trivial data structure being transferred, RMI-IIOP only uses the generated code for remote objects. Less generated code results in the smaller footprint.

Both CORBA and RMI-IIOP use the same GIOP communication standard. If required, it is possible to generate the IDL definitions for the involved RMI-IIOP data structures and use these definitions to arrange the interoperability between the RMI-IIOP and plain CORBA applications.

The recent versions of RMI-IIOP derive their servants from the standard Servant (CORBA) class. Hence it is possible to connect them to the CORBA ORB manually, involving, if necessary, the Portable Object Adapter, Portable Interceptors, CORBA naming service and all other standard CORBA features.

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