E&CE 454

Distributed & Network Centric Computing

Project 1 Information, ECE454 Spring 2001

• This assignment encompasses three independent parts. You will have to implement a simple client-server application using Sun's RPC implementation, Unix Internet domain sockets and Java sockets. The requirements for each implementation are detailed below. The deadline is June 5, 2000 at noon.
  • [1] Using Sun's RPCs you have to implement a remote sorting client-server application. The client calls the server's sorting procedure with two arguments: the name of the file containing the data to be sorted and an integer specifying if normal or reverse sorting is desired. The server will perform the sorting and it will return a string specifying the name of the newly created file containing the sorted data. For simplicity, you may consider that the file contains strings of maximum 40 characters, each string separated by a new-line character. You may also consider that a sorting option of -1 means reverse sorting and a value of 1 means normal sorting. The server should check if the request is valid, i.e. if the file specified in the request exists on the server machine and the sorting option is valid. If the request is invalid, then the "INVALID REQUEST" string should be returned to the client. Whatever is the result, it will be displayed by the client. At start-up the server will register with the portmapper and then it will wait for requests. You have to ensure that the server can be shut down properly, i.e. it will unregister with the portmapper.Details will be given during the tutorial hours. The client will be started with two arguments: the name of the server machine and the transport protocol used to perform the RPC calls (TCP or UDP). Your executables should be called client_sort for the client program and server_sort for the server.

  • [2] Using Unix Internet domain sockets you have to implement a simple echo client-server application. The client reads the user's input and it sends it to the server which will display it and echo it back to the client. You will consider that the user input is sent to the server only when the new-line character is detected in the input stream, i.e. the echo server will operate on a line by line basis. The server should be implemented as a concurrent server. It will be started with one argument: the port number of the service. The client and server will use TCP at the transport layer. The client will be started with two arguments: the host name of the machine where the server is running and the port number of the service. Additionally, you have to ensure that the client can send out-of-band data that will turn off the echo, i.e. the server will only display the lines sent by the client, without echoing them back. The connection will be terminated when the "STOP" string will be entered as a separate line of the user input. Your executables should be called client_echo for the client program and server_echo for the server.

  • [3] Using Java sockets you have to implement the same system as for part 2.

• The project will be conducted in groups of two students per group.

• Common requirements For full marks, your implementation has to consider possible error conditions that may appear. Details will be given at the tutorial hours.

• Submission You have to submit electronically everything that is needed to build your applications. The submission will be in the form of one .tar.gz file that will expand to three subdirectories called rpc, unix_socket and java_socket with the appropriate files in each directory. Each directory should also contain a README file that specifies how to build your application. No paper submission is required. However, there must be a README file and sufficient documentation in your source code.

Contact Info:

kostas@swen.uwaterloo.ca

fpoon@swen.uwaterloo.ca

kycheung@swen.uwaterloo.ca