This chapter describes what a stand-alone client is, types of clients, client features, and how clients are distributed. In the context of this document, a stand-alone client is a client that has a run-time environment independent of WebLogic Server. (Managed clients, such as Web Services, rely on a server-side container to provide the run time necessary to access a server.) Stand-alone clients that access WebLogic Server applications range from simple command-line utilities that use standard I/O to highly interactive GUI applications built using the Java Swing/AWT classes.
This chapter includes the following sections:
For information on license requirements when using client JARs and other resources provided in Oracle WebLogic Server for creating stand-alone clients, see "Stand-Alone WebLogic Clients" in Oracle® Fusion Middleware Licensing Information.
The WebLogic T3 clients are Java RMI clients that use Oracle's T3 protocol to communicate with WebLogic Server. T3 clients outperform other client types, and are the most recommended type of client.
The WebLogic Thin T3 java client provides a light-weight alternative to the WebLogic Install, Full, and Thin IIOP clients. This client provides the same performance that you would see with the full client, but leverages a much smaller jar file. The Thin T3 client supports most of the use cases in which the full client can be used.
The Thin T3 client can be used in stand-alone applications, and is also designed for applications running on foreign (non-WebLogic) servers. One common use case is integration with WebLogic JMS destinations.
"Using WebLogic RMI with T3 Protocol" in Developing RMI Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server
The WebLogic Full Client requires the largest JAR file (wlfullclient.jar
) among the stand-alone clients, but it has the most features and is the best overall performer. All three T3 clients have the same performance. The wlfullclient.jar
also provides IIOP support. See:
"Using WebLogic RMI with T3 Protocol" in Developing RMI Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server
Note:
If you run the WebLogic Full Client from a<java>
task that is invoked in an Ant script, see Running the WebLogic Full Client in a Non-Forked VM, for important information regarding the RSA Crypto-J library, which is included in the wlfullclient.jar
manifest classpath.The Install client is available from a full WebLogic Server installation. It uses the weblogic.jar
file located at WL_HOME/server/lib
and provides client-side support for all WebLogic Server-specific value-added features. It is the only client that supports server-side operations, such as:
Operations necessary for development purposes, such as the ejbc compiler.
Administrative operations such as deployment.
WLST and client-side JSR 88 applications that invoke server-side operations.
IIOP can be a transport protocol for distributed applications with interfaces written in Java RMI. When they are an option, Oracle recommends using T3 clients instead of IIOP clients. For more information, see:
For more information, see "Using RMI over IIOP" in Developing RMI Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server.
If you are not working in a Java-only environment, you can use IIOP to connect your Java programs with Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) clients and execute CORBA objects. IIOP can be a transport protocol for distributed applications with interfaces written in Interface Definition Language (IDL) or Java RMI. However, the two models are distinctly different approaches to creating an interoperable environment between heterogeneous systems. When you program, you must decide to use either IDL or RMI interfaces; you cannot mix them.WebLogic Server supports the following CORBA client models:
You can use a JMX client to access WebLogic Server MBeans. See "Accessing WebLogic Server MBeans With JMX" in Developing Custom Management Utilities Using JMX for Oracle WebLogic Server.
WebLogic Server provides a number of JMS clients that provide Java EE and WebLogic JMS functionality.
Tip:
Oracle recommends using an efficient T3 protocol capable Java client -- either the Install, Full, and Thin T3. The Thin java client uses the slower IIOP protocol and is only recommended when the Thin T3 client is considered to be too large for your use case.WebLogic Thin T3 client, see Developing a WebLogic Thin T3 Client.
WebLogic Full client, see Developing a WebLogic Full Client (Deprecated).
WebLogic Install client, See WebLogic Install Client.
JMS thin client, see Chapter 6, "WebLogic JMS Thin Client."
JMS SAF client, see Chapter 7, "Reliably Sending Messages Using the JMS SAF Client."
JMS C client, see "WebLogic JMS C API" in Developing JMS Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server
JMS .NET client, see Developing JMS .NET Client Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server
WebLogic AQ JMS client, see "Stand-alone WebLogic AQ JMS Clients" in Administering JMS Resources for Oracle WebLogic Server. The WebLogic AQ JMS client obtains destination information using WebLogic Server JNDI and provides direct access to Oracle data base AQ JMS destinations using an embedded driver. It does not provide access to WebLogic Server JMS destinations.
A stand-alone Web Services client (wseeclient.jar) uses WebLogic client classes to invoke a Web Service hosted on WebLogic Server or on other application servers. See "Using a Stand-alone Client JAR File When Invoking Web Services" in Developing JAX-RPC Web Services for Oracle WebLogic Server.
WebLogic Tuxedo Connector provides inter-operability between WebLogic Server applications and Tuxedo services. See:
"Developing Oracle WebLogic Tuxedo Connector Client EJBs" in the Developing Oracle WebLogic Tuxedo Connector Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server
"How to Develop RMI/IIOP Applications for the Oracle WebLogic Tuxedo Connector" in the Developing Oracle WebLogic Tuxedo Connector Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server
"How to Develop Oracle WebLogic Tuxedo Connector Client Beans using the CORBA Java API" in the Developing Oracle WebLogic Tuxedo Connector Applications for Oracle WebLogic Server
The following table lists the types of clients supported in a WebLogic Server environment, and their characteristics, features, and limitations.
Note:
Oracle does not support combining clients to create extended feature sets. Select a client that best fits your environment and use only the client classes specified for that client type.Table 2-1 WebLogic Server Client Types and Features
Client | Type | Language | Protocol | Client Class Requirements | Key Features |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
WL Thin T3 Client |
RMI |
Java |
T3 |
|
|
Deprecated WL Full Client (T3) |
RMI |
Java |
T3 |
|
|
Deprecated WLS-IIOP (Introduced in WebLogic Server 7.0) |
RMI |
Java |
IIOP |
|
|
Thin Client |
RMI |
Java |
IIOP |
|
|
CORBA/IDL |
CORBA |
Languages that OMG IDL maps to, such as C++, C, Smalltalk, COBOL |
IIOP |
no WebLogic classes |
|
Java SE |
RMI |
Java |
IIOP |
no WebLogic classes |
|
JMS Thin Client |
RMI |
Java |
IIOP |
|
|
JMS SAF Client (Introduced in WebLogic Server 9.2) |
RMI |
Java |
IIOP |
|
|
JMS C Client (Introduced in WebLogic Server 9.0) |
JNI |
C |
Any |
Any WebLogic JMS capable Java client, such as |
|
JMS .NET Client (Introduced in WebLogic Server 10.3) |
T3 |
.NET |
T3 |
|
|
WebLogic AQ JMS Client (Introduced in WebLogic Server 10.3.1) |
JNDI/ |
Java |
IIOP/T3 + |
|
See "Stand-alone WebLogic AQ JMS Clients" in Administering JMS Resources for Oracle WebLogic Server. |
JMX |
RMI |
Java |
IIOP |
|
See "Accessing WebLogic Server MBeans with JMX" in Developing Custom Management Utilities Using JMX for Oracle WebLogic Server. |
Web Services |
SOAP |
Java |
HTTP/S |
|
See "Invoking a Web Service from a Stand-alone Client" in Developing JAX-WS Web Services for Oracle WebLogic Server. |
C++ Client |
CORBA |
C++ |
IIOP |
Tuxedo libraries |
|
Tuxedo Server and Native CORBA client |
CORBA or RMI |
C++ |
Tuxedo-General-Inter-Orb-Protocol (TGIOP) |
Tuxedo libraries |
|