FlashConnect Java components

FlashConnect Java components

FlashConnect contains Java features that enable it to communicate more efficiently with the Web browser. Java components increase the speed of data transfer by enabling better communication between the Web server and FCService. The Java components include FCServlet, an FCServlet Diagnostic application, and a Java Native Interface (JNI).

FCServlet

The Java Servlet interface between the Web server and FCService provides important benefits for FlashConnect users:

The FCServlet interface supplements the existing FCcgi and FCisapi conduits by combining the strengths of CGI's cross-platform support and ISAPI's speed. When invoked by the Web server, FCServlet transfers data from the Web server to FCService. It also receives data from FCService and translates the reply back to the Web server.

FCServlet provides an alternative path for the flow of data between the Web server and FCService.

The path contains three stages:

  1. FCServlet gets the request from the Web browser via the Java Servlet engine and passes the request to the JNI interface.

  2. The JNI interface translates the environmental and form variables and passes them to FCService.

  3. FCService passes the request to D3 which processes the information and sends back the result along the same path ending at FCServlet. FCServlet then passes the data back to the Web server.

The following diagram illustrates the three possible paths through which the Web server and FCService can communicate.

FCServlet cannot be used without a third-party Java Servlet engine. The Java Servlet engine is available from the following URL: http://java.sun.com/products/

For more information on configuring and using the FCServlet, see Testing FCServlet.

JNI Interface

The JNI interface plays a major role in the transaction between the FCServlet and FCService. The JNI interface enables FCServlet, written in Java, and FCService, written in C++, to communicate. There is no direct access to the FlashConnect JNI interface. All access is through FCServlet.

  1. Testing FCServlet
    After installing the FlashConnect software, but before using FCServlet, perform these tests to confirm that the Java Servlet Engine runs properly and is properly configured to run FCServlet.
  2. Running FCServlet
    After successfully testing FCServlet, run FCServlet to access several D3 applications.
  3. FCServlet diagnostic tool
    The FCServlet Diagnostic tool is a servlet diagnostic application that tests whether a system is capable of running the FlashConnect Java Components.