Using EJB JNDI References

This section summarizes the considerations when using EJB JNDI references. Where noted, the consideration details are specific to a particular source application server platform.

Placing EJB References in the JNDI Context

It is only necessary to modify the name of the EJB references in the JNDI context mentioned above (moving these references from the JNDI context root to the sub-context ejb/) when the EJBs are mapped to the root of the JNDI context in the existing WebLogic application.

If these EJBs are already mapped to the JNDI sub-context ejb/ in the existing application, no modification is required.

However, when configuring the JNDI names of EJBs in the deployment descriptor within the Sun Java Studio IDE, it is important to avoid including the prefix ejb/ in the JNDI name of an EJB. Remember that these EJB references are automatically placed in the JNDI ejb/ sub-context with Application Server 9. So, if an EJB is given to the JNDI name BankTeller in its deployment descriptor, the reference to this EJB will be translated by Application Server 9 into ejb/BankTeller, and this is the JNDI name that client components of this EJB must use when carrying out a lookup.

Global JNDI context versus local JNDI context

Using the global JNDI context to obtain EJB references is a perfectly valid, feasible approach with Application Server 9. Nonetheless, it is preferable to stay as close as possible to the Java EE specification, and retrieve EJB references through the local JNDI context of EJB client applications. When using the local JNDI context, you must first declare EJB resource references in the deployment descriptor of the client part (web.xml for a Web application, ejb-jar.xml for an EJB component).