An application client is a client program that runs on a JVM that is different from the server.

An application client calls and executes the main() method and runs until the JVM terminates. Like other Java EE application components, an application client also runs in a client container that provides system services, but the container uses less system resources than other Java EE containers. It provides the environment in which Java EE services offered by JEUS can be provided for a general client application.

The services include scheduler, security, JNDI, and other services with which users can use the application components (EJB) and system resources (JDBC data source, JMS connection factory, etc.) that are bound to JEUS via JNDI.

[Figure 1.1] Application Client Architecture

Like other Java programs, an application client must have the main method that is declared in the public class.

The following example is written in Java EE 7 style, and calls EJB via injection. (refer to the ${JEUSHOME}/samples/client/hello/hello-client).

package helloejb;

import java.io.*;
import javax.ejb.EJB;

public class HelloClient {
    @EJB(mappedName="helloejb.Hello")
    private static Hello hello;
    
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("EJB output : " + hello.sayHello());
    }
}

A DD can be written in the following two ways:

If it is necessary to create the jeus-client-dd.xml file, you need to create it before JEUS deploys the client module.

The following example shows an XML file that creates a DD.

The XML file contains environment variables used by the client, a name to which the EJB application is bound, a name of the bound JDBC datasource, and a JNDI binding name for the JMS queue. Except for the environment variables, specify <export-name> as the JNDI name which is actually bound to <ref-name> in the application-client.xml file.

<jeus-client-dd>
    <env>
        <name>year</name>
        <type>java.lang.Integer</type>
        <value>2002</value>
    </env>
    <ejb-ref>
        <jndi-info>
            <ref-name>count</ref-name>
            <export-name>count_bean</export-name>
        </jndi-info>
    </ejb-ref>
    <res-ref>
        <jndi-info>
            <ref-name>datasource</ref-name>
            <export-name>Oracle_DataSource</export-name>
        </jndi-info>
    </res-ref>
    <res-env-ref>
        <jndi-info>
            <ref-name>jms/SalaryInfo</ref-name>
            <export-name>jms/salary_info_queue1</export-name>
        </jndi-info>
    </res-env-ref>
</jeus-client-dd>

To use a web service by using an application client, additional libraries besides JEUS_HOME/lib/client/clientcontainer.jar (the default library) are required. Most of the libraries are located in JEUS_HOME/lib/system (SYSTEM_LIB_DIR).

The following is the list of JEUS libraries required for each service.

To execute an application client module in the console, you can use appclient. The appclient script is located under the JEUS_HOME\bin directory, and executes an application client module through a client container.

The following are the command lines for JEUS client container.