How to connect a Java back end with a .NET front end

Question

Hi,

I have a bunch of Java code which was written using the Hibernate framework, originally destined to have a front end written using JSPs. However, the requirements for the front end have changed, and we've decided that a desktop client (which will be written in .NET) is a better match for our users.

I don't really want to waste the code that's already been written - can anybody suggest a good set of tools for writing a document-based web services interface that we will be able to access from .NET?

Thanks,

Jim

Answer 1

I'd personally use some lightweight RPC protocol, be it XML-RPC or a homegrown one. SOAP, IMO, is way too fat and is not as interoperable as it's supposed to be. The simpler the better.

Answer 2

We have a quite large application using a Java RMI server and IIOP.NET for interoperability. We have used IIOP.NET with the Sun RMI and the Bea Weblogic (now Oracle) without major issues.

Answer 3

If you truly want a document based service interface (rather than an RPC style web service architecture), your best bet is going to be creating a SOAP based web service interface.

A quick glance at the Java site shows that the Metro stack might help a bit:

Java Web Services at a Glance

Answer 4

We're developing an application with the exact architecture you describe for a finance application. We reviewed several different options, and have finally landed on using compressed CSV over HTTP.

CSV was chosen since the vast majority of data was going to be displayed in a grid on the front end, we had very large result sets >250k rows on a regular basis, and it compresses really really well.

We also looked at using:

• ICE, but declined on that due to licensing costs and the need to reinvent so much.
• Google's protocol buffers via servlets, but declined on that due to lack of C# support (as of last fall).
• Compressed XML using WOX, but declined on that due to lock-in to a small thesis project for support and XML being too verbose.

The industry supports a couple of different options as well:

• SOAP, but that has its own well documented issues.
• IIOP, J-Integra has a product called Espresso which will allow you to do RMI from a front end.