In this chapter we discuss the design and implementation of a client/server system with Java. Our simple web server provides hypertext (HTTP) pages to the clients. We create both the server and client programs from Java, relying heavily on classes from the java.net package in the core language.

• Web Servers and Java - overview of Web servers and Java is used to build them
  
• Design of Server - designing a server with Java
  
• ServerSocket - the tool used to monitor for and connect with clients
  
• Thread Workers for Clients - assign thread process to server each individual client
  
• Client Socket Streams - the I/O streams used for communications between clients and the server via a socket.
  
• HTTP Protocol - basics of the standard hypertext protocol and a method in the server for interpreting the HTTP from the client and returning a file to the client.
  
• Run Server - instructions for running the demonstration server application.
  
• Security Problems - possible security roadblocks and creating a more secure version of the demo server.
  
• More about Security - more about setting up the policy file, using the policytool program, and checking permissions inside a program.
  
• A Client Application - we create a client program to interact with our Web server.
  
• Server Apps - example applications of custom designed servers.
• Servlets - brief discussion of Java programs run by application servers
  
• Exercises

Latest update: Dec. 9, 2003