Java Remote Method Invocation: 10

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10.1 Overview

The RMI protocol makes use of two other protocols for its on-the-wire format: Java Object Serialization and HTTP. The Object Serialization protocol is used to marshal call and return data. The HTTP protocol is used to "POST" a remote method invocation and obtain return data when circumstances warrant. Each protocol is documented as a separate grammar. Nonterminal symbols in production rules may refer to rules governed by another protocol (either Object Serialization or HTTP). When a protocol boundary is crossed, subsequent productions use that embedded protocol.

Notes about Grammar Notation

We use a similar notation to that used in The Java Language Specification (see section 2.3 of the JLS).
Control codes in the stream are represented by literal values expressed in hexadecimal.
Some nonterminal symbols in the grammar represent application specific values supplied in a method invocation. The definition of such a nonterminal consists of its Java programming language type. A table mapping each of these nonterminals to its respective type follows the grammar.

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