13.6. Acting as an RMI ClientIn Chapter 10, "Applet-Servlet Communication", we saw how a servlet can act as an RMI server. Here we turn the tables and see a servlet acting as an RMI client. By taking the role of an RMI client, a servlet can leverage the services of other servers to accomplish its task, coordinate its efforts with other servers or servlets on those servers, and/or act as an proxy on behalf of applets that can't communicate with RMI servers themselves. Example 13-8 shows DaytimeClientServlet, a servlet that gets the current time of day from the DaytimeServlet RMI server shown in Chapter 10, "Applet-Servlet Communication". Example 13-8. A servlet as an RMI clientimport java.io.*; import java.rmi.*; import java.rmi.registry.*; import javax.servlet.*; import javax.servlet.http.*; public class DaytimeClientServlet extends HttpServlet { DaytimeServer daytime; // Returns a reference to a DaytimeServer or null if there was a problem. protected DaytimeServer getDaytimeServer() { // Set the security manager if it hasn't been done already. // Provides protection from a malicious DaytimeServer stub. if (System.getSecurityManager() == null) { System.setSecurityManager(new RMISecurityManager()); } try { Registry registry = LocateRegistry.getRegistry(getRegistryHost(), getRegistryPort()); return (DaytimeServer)registry.lookup(getRegistryName()); } catch (Exception e) { getServletContext().log(e, "Problem getting DaytimeServer reference"); return null; } } private String getRegistryName() { String name = getInitParameter("registryName"); return (name == null ? "DaytimeServlet" : name); } private String getRegistryHost() { // Return either the hostname given by "registryHost" or // if no name was given return null to imply localhost return getInitParameter("registryHost"); } private int getRegistryPort() { try { return Integer.parseInt(getInitParameter("registryPort")); } catch (NumberFormatException e) { return Registry.REGISTRY_PORT; } } public void doGet(HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse res) throws ServletException, IOException { res.setContentType("text/plain"); PrintWriter out = res.getWriter(); // Get a daytime object if we haven't before if (daytime == null) { daytime = getDaytimeServer(); if (daytime == null) { // Couldn't get it, so report we're unavailable. throw new UnavailableException(this, "Could not locate daytime"); } } // Get and print the current time on the (possibly remote) daytime host out.println(daytime.getDate().toString()); } } This servlet should remind you of the applet you saw in Chapter 10, "Applet-Servlet Communication". Both servlets and applets perform the same basic steps to access an RMI server. They both locate a registry using a hostname and port number, then use that registry to look up a reference to the remote object. The only significant difference is that a servlet must first ensure it's running under the protection of a default security manager. Every RMI client has to have a security manager in place to protect itself from hostile remotely loaded stubs. An applet is guaranteed to run under an applet security manager, so this step isn't necessary. A servlet, however, can operate without a default security manager, so before acting as an RMI client it may need to assign one. Copyright © 2001 O'Reilly & Associates. All rights reserved. |
|