Java Help - Client/Server Technology

Author

Client/Server Technology

Michael

2005-08-25, 8:01 am

Hi

I'm in web development and occasionally do some client-side Java (I got my
scjp a few years ago). I've been asked to put together a proposal on how to
achieve the following, in Java.

We're looking to write a piece an application that functions over the
Internet. I'm not sure if it is called a thin-client or a rich Internet
application but the idea is that the client software will use Swing, perhaps
distributed via Web Start, and will communicate with a server. The server
will maintain the user data (in a database, perhaps via hibernate). The
logic is that if the user doesn't renew their software licence, the server
will stop communicating, and the client software becomes useless.
Importantly, the server should be able to push data to the client, as there
may be multiple clients viewing and operating on the same data.

My question is, what technology does Java offer to fulfil these
requirements? Is it possible to develop this kind of application using an
existing application server such as JBoss, or would it require a bespoke
server? Ideally, we'd like to use free and open source software in order to
keep the costs of the application down.

Any insight is gratefully appreciated.

Michael

Andrew Thompson

2005-08-25, 8:01 am

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 10:19:11 GMT, Michael wrote:

> ..I'm not sure if it is called a thin-client or a rich Internet
> application but the idea is that the client software will use Swing,

'Swing' is a client on full calories - 'rich client'.

Rich in the sense that it offers tree structures, split
panes, card/tab layouts, dialogs, windows, internal or
'desktop' panes, floatable toolbars, (etc.)..

--
Andrew Thompson
physci.org 1point1c.org javasaver.com lensescapes.com athompson.info
"Your eyes, no surprise, are open wide.."
Divinyls 'Good Die Young'

2005-08-25, 8:01 am

Michael wrote:
> Hi
>
> I'm in web development and occasionally do some client-side Java (I got my
> scjp a few years ago). I've been asked to put together a proposal on how to
> achieve the following, in Java.
>
> We're looking to write a piece an application that functions over the
> Internet. I'm not sure if it is called a thin-client or a rich Internet
> application but the idea is that the client software will use Swing, perhaps
> distributed via Web Start, and will communicate with a server. The server
> will maintain the user data (in a database, perhaps via hibernate). The
> logic is that if the user doesn't renew their software licence, the server
> will stop communicating, and the client software becomes useless.
> Importantly, the server should be able to push data to the client, as there
> may be multiple clients viewing and operating on the same data.
>
> My question is, what technology does Java offer to fulfil these
> requirements? Is it possible to develop this kind of application using an
> existing application server such as JBoss, or would it require a bespoke
> server? Ideally, we'd like to use free and open source software in order to
> keep the costs of the application down.
>
> Any insight is gratefully appreciated.

I've been using the free Application Server from Sun (java.sun.com -->
J2EE) . It isn't very fast, and maybe a bit buggy from now and then, but
it works. I did someting similar: a java swing GUI, that communicates
using a web service/SOAP-messages, with the application server that
looks up the data in a Pointbase DBMS (included with the appserver).

It is totally possible to secure the application in such a way that only
users with a license can access it, using XWS-security (see JWSDP 1.6).

I'm not sure though on how to create the push model, apart from letting
the client check for new information on regular intervals.

T.

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