Java RMI
Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) is a Java API that enables distributed computing by allowing objects in one Java Virtual Machine (JVM) to invoke methods on objects running in another JVM, typically over a network. It provides a mechanism for creating distributed applications where remote objects can be accessed as if they were local, handling communication details like serialization, marshalling, and network protocols. RMI is part of the Java Standard Edition and is often used in enterprise systems for building client-server architectures.
Developers should learn Java RMI when building distributed Java applications that require remote object communication, such as in enterprise systems, financial services, or legacy applications where components need to interact across different machines. It is particularly useful in scenarios where tight integration with Java's object-oriented model is needed, as it allows seamless method calls between JVMs without requiring low-level socket programming. However, it is less common in modern microservices architectures, where REST APIs or gRPC are often preferred.