108. Overview of J2EE Development

Rev. 1.4

 

This course is now available directly from our partner, Capstone Courseware.

This course provides a coherent, high-level explanation of the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE): what sorts of software are created with J2EE; how software is developed for this platform; how it is deployed and put into production; how it can be administered.  The course is designed specifically for non-programmers – analysts, managers, technical writers, and anyone who desires a good conceptual understanding of J2EE while not needing to drill down into the details of particular APIs or runtime specifications.  Developers may also find this course quite useful as a starting point for one or more of our courses in specific J2EE technology – it gives a great sense of the big picture before one dives into the details of Servlets, JSP, EJB, or Java Web services.

 

The course is presented seminar-style, with no hands-on exercises for students and no need for lab equipment.  The instructor demonstrates several sample J2EE applications, including Web applications, EJBs, and Web services, and can go into source code and other details to suit the interests of the audience.  But the focus is on architecture, and on boiling down a very complex system to its essential features: code portability, components and containers, declarative development.  Students come to understand the roles that various J2EE technologies play in a multi-tier, enterprise application, and acquire the terminology and basic workings of each.

 

Although the course treats J2EE at a high level, the instructor-operated demonstrations are fully-functioning Web applications, EJB applications, Web services, and so on.  It is important that the presenter be well versed in J2EE implementation; that is, instructors for this course should be comfortable with teaching any of our other J2EE courses.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 

·         Understand the role of J2EE in the development of enterprise software in the Java language.

·         Understand how J2EE facilitates integration of Java components with non-Java systems including relational databases, the World Wide Web, message queues, CORBA objects, and Web services.

·         Appreciate the importance of the container/component architecture, which gives J2EE servers the ability to take a great deal of grunt-work off of the shoulders of the application.

·         Describe how containers are able to provide enterprise features to compliant application components, such as remote connectivity, scalability, availability, security, and transaction support.

·         Explain the use of XML for deployment descriptors as a way of reducing programming workload and communicating with the J2EE application server.

·         Understand the deployment process and know the general structure of Web, EJB, and enterprise archive files.

 

Course Duration:  1 day.  (A half-day timeline when presenting as a lead-in to other J2EE training for developers is also possible.)

 

Prerequisites:  some prior experience with business software is assumed, but there are no formal prerequisites for this course.

 

1. History and Overview

Structured Programming

Object-Oriented Programming

4GLs and RAD

Java

J2EE and the Outside World

Versions Upon Versions

 

2. Concepts

The Virtual Machine and Runtime

How Does It Work?

Containers and Components

Three Containers

Declarative Development

Deployment Descriptors

Remote Connectivity

Scalability

Availability

Security

Transactionality

 

3. Technology

JDBC

Servlets and JSP

JNDI

The Component Environment

Multi-Tier Applications

EJB

JMS

Web Services

 

4. Tools, Standards, and Portability

Java IDEs

Web Servers and Containers

Application Servers

Web-Service Engines

Standards and Portability

What Is and Isn’t Standardized

Beyond J2EE

 

5. Development and Administration

Case Study Application

Requirements

Analysis

EJB Analysis

Design

Development Process

Assembling WARs and EJB JARs

Assembling EARs

Verifiers

Deploying an EAR

Code Generation

External Resources

Administrative Tools

Administrative Tasks

Remote Administration and Domains

 

Appendix A.  Learning Resources

 

System Requirements – Instructor Machine Only

 

Students do not need PCs to participate in this training.  The instructor will need:

 

Hardware – minimal:                     Pentium 500MHz, 256 meg RAM, 500 meg HD.

Hardware – recommended:           Pentium 1.5gHz, 512 meg RAM, 1 gig HD.

 

Operating system:                          Tested on Windows XP Professional.  The course software should be viable on all Windows or Linux systems which support the J2EE 1.4 RI.

 

Software:                                       All free downloadable tools.