Scott Oaks : Jini in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

Jini is a simple set of Java Classes and services that allows devices (e.g., printers) and services (e.g., printing) to access each other seamlessly, adapt to a continually changing environment, and share code and configurations transparently. Jini has the potential to radically alter our use of computer networks, since it allows and encourages totally new types of services and new uses of existing networks.

Jini in a Nutshell is a quick reference guide to developing services and clients using Jini. It covers everything an experienced Java programmer needs to know to implement Jini, including tutorial chapters to get you up to speed quickly and reference chapters that analyze and explain every Java package related to Jini. Over the course of the book the authors develop a complete example program--with samples of both server and client applications.

Topics covered include:

Setting up the Jini programming environment
RMI
Basic and advanced Jini programming
Jini services, including JavaSpaces
Jini utilities
Security

Jini in a Nutshell covers the Jini 1.0 specification and requires the Java 2 Platform.

Amazon.com Review
Written for the experienced developer who wants to understand what's next in Java programming, Jini in a Nutshell is an concise and excellent source of information on the latest Jini specification from Sun. Part tutorial and part reference, it's a great way to get a handle on the potential of Jini.

In the near future, Jini devices will be able to attach to networks anywhere, while looking up and "leasing" services (like printing). This standard promises a new era of more flexible network connectivity. This book shows you how to help make this happen. First it delivers an effective tutorial to basic and advanced topics in Jini programming, with plenty of short examples of actual client and server code that shows off RMI, discovery and leasing services, remote events, JavaSpaces, and other necessary features of this powerful--and complicated--new set of APIs from Sun.

The focus on the practical side of development is a strength here. The authors give plenty of hands-on tips, such as installing and running the Jini Starter Kit (JSK). More than most APIs, successful programming with Jini requires knowing the rules of what needs to be done with each class or interface. The authors provide step-by-step guidelines--as well as sample code--for each area of the API. This text concludes with over 100 pages of valuable reference material on every Jini utility, class, and method.

In all, with a mix of well-chosen programming tutorials and compact reference material, Jini in a Nutshell proves that a book doesn't have to be long to be comprehensive. This title will be a useful asset for the Java programmer who wants to learn Jini quickly and thoroughly. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Overview of Jini and discoverable network services; Jini communities; programming tutorial; sample code; installing and configuring the Jini Starter Kit (JSK); JSK utilities (reggie, mahalo, outrigger, fiddler, mercury, and norm); Remote Method Invocation (RMI); object serialization; activation; Jini Lookup Services; lookup and discovery support classes; attributes; leasing; landlords and lease policies; distributed remote events; service administration; Jini support classes; collections; thread utilities; reliable logs; transactions; the two-phase commit protocol; nestable transactions; JavaSpaces; read, write, and take operations; helper services; the Lease Renewal Service; the Event Mailbox Service; Java 2 security basics; Jini class and API reference.