RMI Application Step by Step Explanation

A typical RMI application includes four programs.

1. Remote interface: Write an interface that should extend an interface

called Remote from java.rmi package.
2. Implementation program: Write a concrete class which extends UnicastRemoteObject and
implements the above remote interface.
3. Server Program: Write a server program to register the object with RMI registry.
4. Client program: Write a client program to request for object and method invocation.

The application is of interest calculation. The client sends principle, time and rate of
interest to server. Server calculates the interest amount and the total amount to be paid
to clear the complete debt.

1. Remote interface
File Name: Interest.java
This is a simple interface with some abstract methods and extending Remote interface.

import java.rmi.*;

public interface Interest extends Remote

public abstract int getInterest(int principle, int time, int rate) throws RemoteException;

public abstract String getTotal() throws RemoteException;

}
2. Implementation Program
File Name: InterestImpl.java
This is simple concrete (non-abstract) program where we implement (override) all the
abstract methods of the remote interface.

import java.rmi.*; // for RemoteException

import java.rmi.server.*; // for UnicastRemoteObject

public class InterestImpl extends UnicastRemoteObject implements Interest

int interest, principle;

public InterestImpl() throws RemoteException

super();

public int getInterest(int principle, int time, int rate) throws RemoteException

this.principle=principle;

interest = (principle*time*rate)/100;

return interest;

public String getTotal() throws RemoteException

String str = "Pay Rs." +(principle+interest)+ " to clear the debt completely";

return str;

}
3. Server Program
File Name: InterestServer.java
Do not expect much code here. Do not imagine a gigantic Servlet code here. It is named
server program by me as this code is executed on the server side and a program is
necessary for this purpose.
This program creates a remote object, links with an alias name and binds with the RMI
registry, linked to RMI runtime mechanism.

import java.rmi.*;

public class InterestServer

public static void main(String args[]) throws Exception

Interest i1= new InterestImpl();

Naming.rebind("roses", i1); // roses is alias name for i1 and is used later by the client

System.out.println("Server is ready for remote invocations by client");

RMI Guidelines for server file

 The remote interface object i1 is returned by the implementation program constructor, new
InterestImpl(). i1 is known as remote object in RMI technology.
 RMI uses a naming service (like the one JNDI) where an alias name is maintained and this
alias name should be known to client to invoke the remote method. It can be compared to
<url-pattern> in Servlets. The naming service is represented by a class called
java.rmi.Naming. The rebind() method of Naming class binds the object i1 along alias name
with the RMI registry. Alias name "roses" refers the object i1 on server side. Object i1 RMI
registry is connected internally with the Remote reference layer.
4. Client Program
File Name: InterestClient.java
This program obtains a reference of the remote object of server and invokes remote
methods.

import java.rmi.*;

public class InterestClient

public static void main(String args[]) throws Exception

// Object obj1 = Naming.lookup("roses");

// Interest i2 = (Interest) obj1;

// the above statements can coded as one as follows

Interest i2 = (Interest) Naming.lookup("roses");

int interestAmount = i2.getInterest(5000, 3, 12);

System.out.println("Pay interest Rs." + interestAmount);

String str1 = i2.getTotal();

System.out.println(str1);

// with remote referene i2, you can invoke any number times

System.out.println("Pay interest Rs."+i2.getInterest(6500, 2, 10));

System.out.println(i2.getTotal());

}
Code Explanation

The i2 on client side is a reference object that refers i1 on server side. That is, i1 on the
server is known as remote object. Now i2 refers the remote object. Every method we call
with i2 like i2.getInterest(5000, 3, 12), becomes i1.getInterest(5000, 3, 12) on the server.
The remote object i1 invokes the remote method getInterest(5000, 3, 12) on the server
and returns the return value to local variable interestAmount. Every operation you do
on i2 on client side, will be executed on the server with object i1. i2 is the reference
(replica) of i1. Observe, i2 and i1 exists on two different systems(this is specialty of
RMI). i2 and i1communicates each other and is known as object communication. This is
how remote method invocation and object communication works.

Interest i2 = (Interest) Naming.lookup(“roses”);

It can be written like this also.

Interest i2 = (Interest) Naming.lookup(“//localhost/roses”);

It can be written like this also.

Interest i2 = (Interest) Naming.lookup(“rmi://127.0.0.1:1099/roses”);

The above statement is written keeping in view that the same system (with IP
address 127.0.0.1) is treated both as a client and server (with two DOS prompts opened).
It uses the default port number 1099. If the server is different system which is true in
realtime practice, replace 127.0.0.1 with the actual address of the server.