What Is RMI? Briefly Describe Its History

Remote Method Invocation is abbreviated as RMI facilitate java programmers to develop distributed java applications in which the methods of distant java objects can be called from other JVM, usually on different hosts. As RMI is firmly linked with Java language, it can work with sub-classes DCOM and CORBA cannot work with subclasses because they are static object models.

RMI is java edition of remote procedural calls but it has the capability to pass one or more objects with request. The object can contain data that will change the service that is to be performed in the distant computer. RMI request is such a request to call the method of a distant object. The request method has the syntax to call an object in the same computer. Usually RMI is planned to protect the object model and its advantages through a network. It is implemented in three layers:

•    A stub program in the client side of the client server
      mechanism, and a respective skeleton program at the server
      end. Stub emerges to the calling program as the program
     being called for the service.
•   Remote Reference Layer that can act differently based on the
     parameters passed by the calling program.
•   Transport Connection Layer that sets up and manages the
     request.
A drawback of RPC is it covers a small set of simple data types. That's why, RPC is not appropriate for passing and returning objects.