Chapter 3. Naming on JBoss

• An Overview of JNDI

• The JBossNS Architecture

This chapter discusses the JBoss JNDI-based naming service, JBossNS, and the role of JNDI in JBoss and J2EE. It also provides an introduction to the basic JNDI API and common usage conventions. In this chapter, you'll also learn about the JBoss-specific configuration of J2EE component-naming environments defined by the standard deployment descriptors. The final topic in this chapter is the configuration and architecture of the JBoss naming service.

The JBoss naming service plays a key role in J2EE because it provides a naming service that allows a user to map a name to an object. This is a fundamental need in any programming environment because developers and administrators want to be able to refer to objects and services by recognizable names. A good example of a pervasive naming service is the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS). DNS allows you to refer to hosts by using logical names rather than their numeric Internet addresses. JNDI serves a similar role in J2EE by enabling developers and administrators to create name-to-object bindings for use in J2EE components.