RMI NotSerializableException although it's a remote object

Question

I'm writing a small RMI based Chat application.

The idea is: the Client registers himself on the Server, and everytime the server receives a message from a client, he pushes this message to all other clients.

But I receive a NotSerializableException although, the object, I'm passing as a method parameter implements the Remote interface.

Here is some code: (The problematic part is the this parameter in this.chatServ.registriereClient(this); (ClientChat Implementation))

The (ClientChat)interface:

public interface ChatClient extends Remote
{

}

(ClientChat)Implementation:

public class ChatClientImpl implements ChatClient
{

    ChatServer chatServ;
    String clientName;

    public ChatClientImpl(String clientName, ChatServer chatServ) {
        this.chatServ = chatServ;
        this.clientName = clientName;
        try {
            this.chatServ.registriereClient(this);
        } catch (RemoteException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

(ServerChat) Interface

public interface ChatServer extends Remote
{
        void registriereClient(ChatClient client) throws RemoteException;

}

(ServerChat) Implementation

public class LobbyChatServerImpl implements ChatServer
{

    ArrayList<ChatClient> clientListe = null;

    @Override
    public void registriereClient(ChatClient client) {
        System.out.println("Client registriert");
        this.clientListe.add(client);
    }
}

Client:

  public static void main(String[] args) {
        ChatServer lobbyChatServer = null;
        try {
            Registry registry = LocateRegistry.getRegistry(Server.RMI_PORT);
            lobbyChatServer = (ChatServer) registry.lookup("LobbyChatServer");

        } catch (RemoteException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (NotBoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        ChatClient lobbyChat = new ChatClientImpl(name, lobbyChatServer);
  }

Server:

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            if (System.getSecurityManager() == null) {
                System.setSecurityManager(new RMISecurityManager());
            }

            Registry registry = LocateRegistry.getRegistry(RMI_PORT);

            ChatServer lobbyChatStub = (ChatServer)UnicastRemoteObject.exportObject(new LobbyChatServerImpl(), 0);
            registry.bind("LobbyChatServer", lobbyChatStub);

        } catch (RemoteException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (AlreadyBoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

Exception:

java.rmi.MarshalException: error marshalling arguments; nested exception is: 
    java.io.NotSerializableException: de.XX.Chat.ChatClientImpl
    at sun.rmi.server.UnicastRef.invoke(UnicastRef.java:156)
    at java.rmi.server.RemoteObjectInvocationHandler.invokeRemoteMethod(RemoteObjectInvocationHandler.java:194)
    at java.rmi.server.RemoteObjectInvocationHandler.invoke(RemoteObjectInvocationHandler.java:148)
    at $Proxy0.registriereClient(Unknown Source)
    at de.XX.Chat.ChatClientImpl.<init>(ChatClientImpl.java:19)
    at de.XX.Client.main(Client.java:49)
Caused by: java.io.NotSerializableException: de.XX.Chat.ChatClientImpl
    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject0(ObjectOutputStream.java:1180)
    at java.io.ObjectOutputStream.writeObject(ObjectOutputStream.java:346)
    at sun.rmi.server.UnicastRef.marshalValue(UnicastRef.java:292)
    at sun.rmi.server.UnicastRef.invoke(UnicastRef.java:151)
    ... 5 more

As already said, I wonder why i get this kind of Exception, although ChatClientImpl is already Remote.

Hope you can help me:)

Answer 1

Objects passed as parameters or results of remote methods must be either:

1. Serializable (or Externalizable), or

2. Exported remote objects.

Yours is neither. However as it implements a Remote interface clearly you intended (2). Objects that extend UnicastRemoteObject are auto-exported on construction. Objects that don't must be exported explicitly, via UnicastRemoteObject.exportObject().