RMI

I've been a bit undecided about the larger architecture, aside from wanting to keep it open ended. SOAP sounds ideal. But I think I want something easier to start with. And I'm concerned about what my ISV will allow.

I could do a custom network interface. Not a bad thought, especially if it is not the only interface. Might be an easy way to tie to a Python client.

For now, I'm thinking of a Java-only solution. One possibility is to have a servlet access the Ark locally. Another is RMI. I'm thinking the answer is RMI.

With RMI I can stay with the text client in the initial implementation. So I can focus pretty much on multi-user issues. And I am very fond of being able to make small changes and keep a tight focus. This approach also means I don't have far to go before getting something working--which I really appreciate.

An RMI server is especially attractive as I can then do a servlet client and a swing client. I like the idea of being able to do a mix, though I'm sure time constraints will limit this until we can get more developers to join the project. Sigh.

Bill