Since IPC was first mentioned, many methods and protocals that involving inter-process call published, like RPC, Web Service etc.,
But actually, those are all another format of IPC, the difference is the processes that will be invoked is remote or local.
Here I want to make a summary, especially in Java:

RPC is a kind of IPC

When the program is run and the procedure call is issued, the stub receives the request and forwards it to a client runtime program in the local computer. The client runtime program has the knowledge of how to address the remote computer and server application and sends the message across the network that requests the remote procedure.
Similarly, the server includes a runtime program and stub that interface with the remote procedure itself. Results are returned the same way.


Java also provide such kind of remote invocation, JMI means to invoke a Java method in remote side. This technique are used in EJB suite, which ius treated as a very heavy method.

Web Service

With the introduction of Web Service, developers enable to remotely invoke method in a easy way.

Java Web Service

  1. big web service: JAX-WS :
    1. SOAP (An XML architecture) based.
    2. Using JAX-WS to determine Java-to-WSDL Mapping.
    3. Publish WSDL as syntactical definition interface.
  2. RESTful web service: JAX-RS
    1. HTTP based.
    2. Using JAX-RS to easy binding.
    3. Far lightweight and easy integrating.


30 July 2014