2. Introduction — RMI User Guide

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# 2. Introduction

## 2.1. Features

Vortex OpenSplice RMI provides an implementation of the general concept of invoking a remote method over DDS. It enhances Vortex OpenSplice with a service-oriented interaction pattern that can be used with combination with the native data-centric pattern. Vortex OpenSplice RMI is a service invocation framework on top of DDS DCPS that uses DDS mechanisms to export, find and invoke services. It maps all the application-exchanged requests/replies into DDS data exchanges, and gives the ability to configure the associated QoS policies according to the application needs. Finally, Vortex OpenSplice RMI enables the definition of a distributed services space over a DDS data space with all the known DDS benefits, such as discovery, fault tolerance, performance and real-time features.

RMI Communication Scheme

Vortex OpenSplice RMI targets service-oriented applications needing a request/reply communication scheme while they need to have a very fine control over the data and the underlying network quality of service. Typically, Vortex OpenSplice RMI can be used in systems to issue commands. Commands are a kind of stimulus that express the ability of the system to do something. As commands have the `do-something’ connotation, it is often useful to be informed synchronously that the command has been executed. Thanks to the various DDS QoSs, applications can associate expiration time, prioritities, persistency and so on to those commands.

## 2.2. Benefits

As a complementary paradigm to data centricity, Vortex OpenSplice RMI provides these benefits:

- A more productive and higher abstraction level than can be achieved manually through topic exchanges and applications synchronization.
- A unique middleware technology for mixing Global Services and Data Spaces with an easy and dynamic services registration, data declaration, and the same discovery mechanisms.
- Enables data-centric applications to use RMI without the burden of an additional middleware technology (e.g. CORBA).
- Strong services location transparency. Thanks to the connectionless nature of DDS, service identities do not need to include any network-related information. In Vortex OpenSplice RMI, a service is identified by a simple name. Services’ identities are exported naturally via a DDS publication on specific topics. Services can even move from one location to another without any impact on client applications.
- Simple API.
- Easy deployment process.

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