Client applications

Client applications

We can write client applications that run separately from the appserver. A client application uses the framework provided by an underlying client to access the resources provided by WAS.
Several types of clients are installed either with WAS or, optionally, with the Application Client for WAS.
Figure 1. Clients provided for WAS

Stand-alone thin clients and resource adapter for JMS

The stand-alone thin clients are small, embeddable JavaSE clients that we can run either on their own or, to provide different features, with one or more other stand-alone thin clients. The resource adapter for JMS is a stand-alone resource adapter that provides third party application servers with full connectivity to service integration resources running inside WAS.

Java EE client

The Java EE client is a Java EE mode of using the runtime environment of either an Application Client installation or a WAS installation. The Java EE client uses the Client Container in the runtime environment to simplify access to system services such as security, transactions, naming, and database access for use by Java EE client applications.

Java thin client

The Java thin client is a JavaPlatform, Standard Edition (Java SE) mode of using the runtime environment of either an Application Client installation or a WAS installation. The Java thin client runtime environment provides the support needed by full-function Java SE client applications for object resolution, security, Reliability Availability and Servicability (RAS), and other services. However, the Java thin client does not support a Client Container that provides easy access to these services.

Applet client

The Applet client model has a Java applet embedded in a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) document residing on a remote client machine from the WAS. With this type of client, the user accesses an enterprise bean in the WAS through the Java applet in the HTML document.

ActiveX to Enterprise JavaBeans(EJB) Bridge (Windows only)

The ActiveX application client model uses the Java Native Interface (JNI) architecture to programmatically access the JVM API. Therefore the JVM code exists in the same process space as the ActiveX application (Visual Basic, VBScript, or Active Server Pages (ASP) files) and remains attached to the process until that process terminates.

WAS Pluggable client (Windows only)

This client provides a subset of Application Client for WAS features. This client is supported in Windows only using a Sun JRE in a J2SE mode of operation.
The pluggable client is deprecated. It is replaced by the stand-alone thin client, IBM Thin Client for EJB.

The following table provides a comparison of the different types of client that are available.

Table 1. Client comparison

Stand-alone thin clients Resource Adapter for JMS Java EE client (Java EE mode of Application Client) Java thin client (Java SE mode of Application Client) Java EE client (Java EE mode of Application Server¹ Java thin client (Java SE mode of Application Server)¹ Pluggable Client (deprecated)
Unique characteristics Embeddable single jar with small footprint JCA v1.5 resource adapter with small footprint Large client footprint with many files Large client footprint with many files Very large server footprint with many files Very large server footprint with many files Large client footprint with many files (subset of Application Client for WAS)
Supported execution environment Java SE Java EE v1.4 appserver: Apache Geronimo, Server Community Edition, JBoss Java EE client container Java SE Java EE client container Java SE Java SE
Supported Java vendors IBM, Sun, and HP-UX As per J2EE vendor Supplied IBM appserver Supplied IBM appserver Supplied IBM appserver Supplied IBM appserver Sun
Supported Java versions 1.5+ 1.5+ Supplied IBM JRE Supplied IBM JRE Supplied IBM JRE Supplied IBM JRE 1.5+
Supported transactions No transactions and local transactions No transactions, local transactions, and XA transactions for JMS No transactions, and local transactions for JMS No transactions, and local transactions for JMS No transactions, local transactions for JMS No transactions, and local transactions for JMS No transactions, and local transactions for JMS
Easily embedded Yes No No No No No No
Include JNDI lookup capability to WAS Available through the Thin Client for Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) Not applicable (relies on host appserver JNDI) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Connectivity support TCP and SSL TCP and SSL TCP, HTTP, and SSL TCP, HTTP, and SSL TCP, HTTP, and SSL TCP, HTTP, and SSL TCP and HTTP
Notable restrictions Thin Client for JMS does not support HTTP connectivity.
For Web services, the use of SOAP/JMS is not supported by the thin client environment
No HTTP connectivity None None None None No SSL support
License type IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution) IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution) IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution) IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution) IPLA IPLA IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution)

¹ The information in this column relates to WAS when used as the client runtime environment.

Subtopics

Terms used for clients
Application Client for WAS
Stand-alone thin clients
Java EE client
Java thin client
Applet client
ActiveX to Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) Bridge
Pluggable client

Related concepts

Accessing the Samples (Samples Gallery)

	Stand-alone thin clients	Resource Adapter for JMS	Java EE client (Java EE mode of Application Client)	Java thin client (Java SE mode of Application Client)	Java EE client (Java EE mode of Application Server¹	Java thin client (Java SE mode of Application Server)¹	Pluggable Client (deprecated)
Unique characteristics	Embeddable single jar with small footprint	JCA v1.5 resource adapter with small footprint	Large client footprint with many files	Large client footprint with many files	Very large server footprint with many files	Very large server footprint with many files	Large client footprint with many files (subset of Application Client for WAS)
Supported execution environment	Java SE	Java EE v1.4 appserver: Apache Geronimo, Server Community Edition, JBoss	Java EE client container	Java SE	Java EE client container	Java SE	Java SE
Supported Java vendors	IBM, Sun, and HP-UX	As per J2EE vendor	Supplied IBM appserver	Supplied IBM appserver	Supplied IBM appserver	Supplied IBM appserver	Sun
Supported Java versions	1.5+	1.5+	Supplied IBM JRE	Supplied IBM JRE	Supplied IBM JRE	Supplied IBM JRE	1.5+
Supported transactions	No transactions and local transactions	No transactions, local transactions, and XA transactions for JMS	No transactions, and local transactions for JMS	No transactions, and local transactions for JMS	No transactions, local transactions for JMS	No transactions, and local transactions for JMS	No transactions, and local transactions for JMS
Easily embedded	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Include JNDI lookup capability to WAS	Available through the Thin Client for Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB)	Not applicable (relies on host appserver JNDI)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Connectivity support	TCP and SSL	TCP and SSL	TCP, HTTP, and SSL	TCP, HTTP, and SSL	TCP, HTTP, and SSL	TCP, HTTP, and SSL	TCP and HTTP
Notable restrictions	Thin Client for JMS does not support HTTP connectivity. For Web services, the use of SOAP/JMS is not supported by the thin client environment	No HTTP connectivity	None	None	None	None	No SSL support
License type	IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution)	IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution)	IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution)	IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution)	IPLA	IPLA	IPLA (unlimited copy but no redistribution), and ILAN (redistribution)