Java for CSE -- Main Issues
A number of issues arise when using Java and Java-based technologies in the
Computational Science and Engineering fields. A number of ongoing research
projects are trying to address these issues and in the ACM 1998 Workshop
on Java for HPNC, reports on those attempts were presented. Most of those
reports are about systems or libraries trying to address these issues.
Here is a sample of those issues:
- When using Java and Java-based systems in the field of parallel scientific
computing, how to deal with, for examples, issues of performance.
- The questions of Java numerics and the use of numerical libraries with
the Java environment. In addition are specifically the issues of
complex numbers and overloading.
- Possible enhancements to some of the Java-based methods such as RMI
for a more efficient and easier use in a distributed computing environment.
- Issues related to performance, speed, etc. of Java and distributed object
technologies.
- The question of security still need to be addressed when coupling Java
with distributed Web-based and collaborative computing. Specifically, the
security involved when communicating between applets. Also, in collaborative
environments there are other issues that need to be addressed such as object
replication management, scalability, and the integration of audio/video
capabilities.
- Java-based libraries can be built easily to handle various computing
environments such as metacomputing, global computing, etc. The questions here
are mainly those of security, RMI, fault-tolerance, program efficiency and
performance in general.
- Other things to be addressed are those of using newly released
Java features such as, for example, Java 3D API
for scientific visualization, etc. in a collaborative computing
environment.