Implementing communication protocols in Java

As the number and variety of Web- and network-based applications continues to increase, so does the need for flexible communication protocols and services to support them. Traditionally, a major impediment to deployment of new protocols and services is the need to upgrade millions of end systems with compatible implementations. At the same time, Java-a language explicitly designed to support development and distribution of new applications via the Web-is emerging as a (potentially) ubiquitous system platform. It is therefore natural to consider whether Java might speed the introduction of protocols to better support new applications. We discuss the suitability of Java as an environment for implementing and deploying communication protocols. Using insights from a Java-based protocol suite and supporting protocol subsystem we have implemented, we describe the benefits of using Java for protocol development and deployment, and how protocol programmers can implement protocols taking advantage of those benefits.