Writing distributed enterprise applications has always been a significant challenge, but this once Herculean task has been somewhat ameliorated with the advancement of component-based programming in general. For example, by increasing program modularity, you can now compose a behemoth application from multiple functionally independent modules. This not only enables you to assemble complex systems using an assembly-line approach, but also greatly increases the reusability of the modules themselves.

Although using components enhances the modularity and natural distribution of applications in general, they still present some interesting challenges. For example, in days of old, when a monolithic program failed, it was simply restarted as a unit. But, today, with a modular system, when a failure of any one component occurs, the challenge is to ensure faults are isolated to limit their propagation and that it does not corrupt others. This is more complicated than it sounds with distributed applications, however, as the components can reside anywhere on the network. In addition, because enterprises are essentially heterogeneous environments, the presence of multiple operating systems and platforms that host the different components adds a new level of complexity.

Clearly, a technology like Java, with its promise of the "write once run anywhere," can significantly mitigate many of the problems associated with enterprise distributed systems development. This seminar report is devoted to understanding the implications and architecture of an enabling server-side component technology-Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs)-and presents examples of how to use this technology to implement real-life, distributed enterprise solutions