I have a user interface in .net which needs to receive data from a server, on a request/reply/update model. The only constraint is to use Java only on the server box.
What is the best approach to achieve this ? Is it by creating a Webservice in Java and then accessing it in .net, or should I create Java proxies and convert them in .net by using IKM ? Or do you have any better idea ? It can be HTTP based, used a direct socket connection, or any middleware.
Thanks.
Using a standard type of web service (e.g. SOAP or XML-RPC) is best because not only is it easy to produce/consume, it's easy in other languages as well.
I recommend the web service route. It offers a standard interface that can be consumed by other client platforms in the future.
.NET clients interact with Java web services pretty well, though there are some gotchas. The best two technologies available for you for the .NET client are Microsoft Web Service Enhancements (WSE) and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF). WSE is an older technology that is no longer being updated by Microsoft, but still works great in Visual Studio 2005 and older. I find WSE to be a bit easier to get started with in terms of how you interface with basic services, but WCF has much more support for WS-* protocols (security, trust, etc.). If your needs are basic and you're still using Visual Studio 2005 (.NET framework 2 or older), then go with WSE. If you like the cutting edge, or you anticipate more advanced security needs (doesn't sound like you will), then go with WCF. Please note that WSE will not work easily in Visual Studio 2008 and newer, and WCF will not work in Visual Studio 2005 and older.
Going the web service route will mean that you will design to an interface that can be reused and will result in a more loosely coupled system when you're done than most of the other routes. The downside is primarily performance: xml serialization will be slower than binary over the wire, and web services do not handle large amounts of data well.