RMI compared to other networking
In Java, it is quite easy to establish a socket network connection to another host. Communication takes place via streams. You must program protocols for message interactions and formats yourself.
- High-level compared with Unix sockets, but low-level compared to RMI.
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a protocol to allow calling remote procedures.
- Programmers register their application with a host port mapper.
- Protocols for procedure parameter passing supports a limited number of primitive types.
Remote distributed objects allow objects to be passed as parameters as well.
- RMI, CORBA, DCOM (for ActiveX and other Microsoft applications).