Export Object over RMI example

Byron KiourtzoglouNovember 11th, 2012Last Updated: April 29th, 2013

0 231 2 minutes read

This is an example of how to Export Object over RMI. The Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) system allows an object running in one Java virtual machine to invoke methods on an object running in another Java virtual machine. In this example, we have created a Class, the CalculatorServiceImpl, that will be used as the Object to be exported over RMI. It consists of two methods, the add(int num1, int num2) method and the div(double num1, double num2) method. Exporting the CalculatorService over RMI implies that you should:

Define a remote object interface, the CalculatorService that must extend the Remote Interface.
Define the remote object implementation, the CalculatorServiceImpl that must extend the UnicastRemoteObject Class.
Compile the CalculatorServiceImpl and generate skeletons and stubs.
Start up the RMI registry so as to create and export remote objects.
Export the remote object. Create a new CalculatorService instance and bind it to the RMI registry, using the java.rmi.Naming Class and specifically the rebind(String name, Remote obj) API method. The CalculatorService object is now associated with a specified name and it can be looked up by it, as demonstrated to the ExportObjectToRMI Class.
Then look up the remote object, with the lookup(String name) API method and invoke one of its exposed methods.

Note that in the example, the CalculatorServiceImpl implements two methods that must throw RemoteException. Any other exception must be wrapped by the RemoteException.
Let’s take a look at the code snippets that follow:

Define the remote interface

package com.javacodegeeks.snippets.core;
  
import java.rmi.*;
 
// Method attributes and return types can be primitives or Objects implementing the Serializable interface
public interface CalculatorService extends Remote {
  int add(int num1, int num2) throws RemoteException;
  double div(double num1, double num2) throws RemoteException;
}

Define the remote object implementation

package com.javacodegeeks.snippets.core;
  
import java.rmi.*;
import java.rmi.server.UnicastRemoteObject;
 
public class CalculatorServiceImpl extends UnicastRemoteObject implements CalculatorService {
 
    public CalculatorServiceImpl() throws RemoteException {
 
super();
    }
 
    // All remote methods must throw RemoteException
    public int add(int num1, int num2) throws RemoteException {
 
return (num1 + num2);
    }
 
    public double div(double num1, double num2) throws RemoteException {
 
if (num2 == 0) {
        // The actual exception must be wrapped in a RemoteException
    
 
  throw new RemoteException("Divided by zero!", new IllegalArgumentException("Divided by zero!"));
 
}
 
return (num1 / num2);
    }
}

Compile the remote object implementation and generate skeletons and stubs

> javac CalculatorService.java CalculatorServiceImpl.java
> rmic CalculatorServiceImpl

Start up the RMI registry that allows us to create and export remote objects

1	`> rmiregistry`

Export remote object, look it up and invoke its methods

package com.javacodegeeks.snippets.core;
  
import java.net.MalformedURLException;
import java.rmi.Naming;
import java.rmi.NotBoundException;
import java.rmi.RemoteException;
import java.rmi.UnknownHostException;
 
public class ExportObjectToRMI {
 
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    // Create an instance of the remote object and bind it to the RMI registry
    try {
 
CalculatorService calculatorService = new CalculatorServiceImpl();
 
Naming.rebind("//localhost/CalculatorService", calculatorService);
    } catch (MalformedURLException e) {
    } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
    } catch (RemoteException e) {
    }
 
    // Look up the remote object and invoke the exposed methods
    try {
 
CalculatorService calculatorService = (CalculatorService) Naming.lookup("//localhost/CalculatorService");
 
double result = calculatorService.div(10, 5);
 
System.out.println("Division 10/5 result : " + result);
    } catch (MalformedURLException e) {
    } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
    } catch (NotBoundException e) {
    } catch (RemoteException e) {
 
// Get the actual exception that was thrown.
 
Throwable realException = e.detail;
    }
  }
}

Output:

Division 10/5 result : 2.0

This was an example of how to export an Object over an RMI in Java.

Export Object over RMI example

Thank you!

Byron Kiourtzoglou

Thank you!