Netlet handles

Figure: The handle interfaces to access remote Beatrix netlets.

Reference to other Beatrix netlets is via handles, some of which can are returned by methods in the IPeerSupport plugin (Section ). These handles are classified in Figure  and are found in package org.jtrix.project.beatrix.handle. Their different features are as follows:

INetletHandle

Basic facilities applicable to all Beatrix netlets: get its address, it is still alive, etc.

IAccessPointHandle

A basic netlet handle with the extra facility to see what service types it's providing. For example, an access point to our skeleton application offers the skeleton service type and the admin service type.

IServerHandle

An extension to INetletHandle which adds the facility to create a service connection with that netlet.

IManagedHandle

An extension to IServerHandle which adds the facility to communicate with that netlet not just as a service provider, but as a managed netlet in its own right. E.g. we can get a status report from it. Only managers and workers are considered managed netlets because only they are under direct control of the application. Access points spring into life after a consumer performs a service bind, which is clearly an event outside the control of the application.

IWorkerHandle

An extension to IManagedHandle specialised for a worker: we can get its resources and its worker type.

IManagerHandle

An extension to IManagedHandle specialised for a manager: we can ask if it's the leader.