The Jini(TM) Specification (The Jini(TM) Technology Series) (Paperback)

~ Ken Arnold (Author), Robert W. Scheifler (Author), Jim Waldo (Author), Ann Wollrath (Author), Robert Scheifler (Author), (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What does Sun's Jini technology mean for the future of distributed computing? To find out, take a look at The Jini Specification, a guide written for IS managers and Java developers alike.

The book starts with what Jini is and how it works. (In short, Jini allows Java clients to invoke remote services easily through Java.) The authors present a chat message server and explain the Jini architecture where clients look up and "lease" remote services.

The heart of this book is its coverage of classes in the Jini specification. First there's an overview of Jini illustrated with a printer service. Then it's a close look at how clients "discover" Jini services, either through multicast or unicast protocols. (The authors also present useful built-in utility classes here.)

Next comes material on storing entries for Jini services (used for identifying them across the network) and the classes used to "lease" remote services. An interesting section on remote events contrasts them with local JavaBean events. Then it's on to Jini transactions, including the two-phase commit process used to manage work done remotely.

Later the book turns to the new JavaSpaces classes, which permit sharing data between Java processes in order to facilitate parallelism. An intriguing appendix reprints a white paper in which the Sun team outlines its philosophy of distributed computing. (They argue that local and remote objects need to be handled differently: object location transparency is a myth.)

With a mix of technology briefing and nuts-and-bolts detail, The Jini Specification delivers a valuable perspective on the latest advance in Java distributed computing from Sun. --Richard Dragan

Review

"This book contains all the Jini Specifications....it offers a convenient package for the specifications, which are the best way to really understand this technology." -- artima.com - a resource for Java and Jini Developers

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Product Details

• Paperback: 385 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub (Sd); 1 edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201616343
• ISBN-13: 978-0201616347
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,052,392 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent guide and reference for Jini developers, November 30, 1999

By	David Reilly (Gold Coast, Queensland Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jini has to be about the hottest new Java technology to be released in years. Imagine a world of plug-and-play networked devices, which can be installed and seamlessly integrated with your LAN simply by connecting them to your network. A laptop on-the-go can just plug in to an unfamiliar network, and access the printer or Internet proxy server, without the need to install any drivers. Mixing Unix and Wintel devices? Not a worry. Jini promises to let them talk to each other.

That's the vision behind Jini. But that vision goes much further. Not only can hardware devices talk to one another, but also software services. In a Jini world, you won't care whether how a device works, or whether it is software or hardware based. An Internet based fax service will act as a fax, as will a hardware device. You'll just look for a fax service, without worrying how the service is implemented. Of course, someone needs to write the software that will power Jini services. That's where The Jini Specification comes in.

The book is divided into two main sections, an overview and the specification for Jini. The overview provides an easily accessible overview of what Jini is, how it works, and what it can achieve. There are also several examples of Jini services and clients, to give you some practical experience with building Jini software applications.

From there, the book dives headfirst into the actual specification. The first part of the book is good for managers, and software developers alike. The coverage of the specification, however, is designed as a reference for developers as they construct Jini software. This is where many readers could become lost, unless they are already using Jini in action. The first part of the book is a guide to Jini, the second intended only as a reference during development. Finally, a glossary of Jini terms and an essay on distributed computing is included, along with the full source code from the overview.

The Jini Specification is a must-have for anyone considering Jini development. It provides an excellent guide to Jini technology for those considering designing Jini-based systems, and a comprehensive printed reference for those who will implement them.  -- David Reilly, for the Java Coffee Break

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first step down the path of Jini enlightenment..., June 11, 1999

By A Customer

As a young engineer I can feel the energy that surrounds Jini technology. It seems that Jini has the potential to be something that will change the way we look at and do computing. It has also been kept open enough so that anybody and everybody can learn and work with it.

The only unfortunate thing was that till this day. There were no comprehensive learning aids. I have read many of the faqs, slide shows, tutorials and mailing list archives (that I could find on the internet). They have all been insightful and helpful but none of them have been complete.

The "Jini Specification" has been my first complete step into understanding how this new technology will change the way I think.

It has provided me with an introduction and overview of the general principles and components of Jini (Part 1 - Overview and Examples). This was complemented with what I think are very relevant and easy to understand examples (eg. chat room).

(This was something my friend and I were trying to implement as part of the learning experience. :)

It has also convinced me of the need to read the relevant Jini white papers by including them as Part 2 - The Jini Specification. I will continue to refer to this section until all the white papers are read and committed to memory. (just joking!)

"A Note on Distributed Computing" is Appendix A and it was my first time reading this report. I thought it reflected what I understood/assumed about local and distributed computing.

I realize that this is one of the first books (if not the first) on the topic of Jini and as such I have nothing else to compare it too. But, it has increased my understanding of Jini and distributed computing. This makes the book worthwhile in my mind.

Felix Tang, University of Toronto, Engineering Science

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book for knowing latest in distributed computing, July 20, 1999

By A Customer

As a distributed computer designer, developer and research I feel this book is best for JINI - which is the latest and modest happening in field of distributed computing.
The book not only covers JINI specifications, but has a clear theory on what it is, with code samples and very clean writing fashion.
Moreover, it is short and to the point. I strongly recommend this book to distributed design professionals and students, as it gives a latest tech flavour for them to be in touch and know tommorrows' computing arena.