Is it possible to use multiple java ObjetOutputStream objects to write to a single java ObjectInputStream object?

Question

I have a standard client/server setup.

The program I'd like to build acts a lot like a mail office(which is my Server). Multiple people (client with ObjectOutputStream) hand the office (server with the single ObjectInputStream) mail with an attached address and the office sends the mail where it is supposed to go. If possible, I'd like to have one ObjectInputStream in the server that blocks, waiting for "mail" to come in from any ObjectOutputStream, then sends the "mail" where it's supposed to go. This way I can just have one thread that is completely dedicated to receiving data and sending it.

I will have a thread for each person's client with their ObjectOutputStream, but would like to not also need a matching thread in the server to communicate with each person. I am interested in this idea because I find it excessive to build tons of threads to separately handle connections, when it's possible that a single thread will only send data once in my case.

Is this feasible? or just silly?

Answer 1

Use a JMS queue of Java Message Service, is the design pattern for this case. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Message_Service

Answer 2

If you have in the server app just one instance of ObjectInputStream and you have many clients then this instance needs to be shared by all threads thus you need to synchronize the access to it.

You can read more here. Hope this helps.

OR

You can have a pool of ObjectInputStream instances and using a assignment algorithm like Round Robin (doc) you can return the same instance for each x order thread for example ... this will make the flow in the server app to be more paralleled

Answer 3

Your question doesn't make sense. You need a separate pair of ObjectInputStream and ObjectOutputStream per Socket. You also need a Thread per Socket, unless you are prepared to put up with the manifest limitations of polling via InputStream.available(), which won't prevent your reads from blocking. If you are using Object Serialization you are already committed to blocking I/O and therefore to a thread per Socket.