Providing Easier Access to Remote Objects in Client-Server Systems

Abstract

The Java Environment for Distributed Invocation (JEDI) is efficient, dynamic, and easier to use than alternative communication systems for distributed Java objects. Existing state-of-the-art mechanisms for remote method calls on Java objects, such as RMI, require users to perform a complicated series of steps. Furthermore, the compiled static interfaces these systems use limit their functionality. This paper presents the design and implementation of JEDI's simpler approach utilizing dynamic proxies. We discuss a means of integrating JEDI with a publicly available CORBA ORB, followed by the tests used to ensure the robustness of the JEDI system. Comparing this system's performance with that of other communication facilities such as UDP, TCP, and RMI demonstrates the efficiency of JEDI. A calendar-scheduling application illustrates the flexibility and usability tradeoffs of employing JEDI in distributed client-server applications.