AdvancED Flex 3 excerpt: Integrating via data and media services
Modified
23 March 2009
Requirements
Prerequisites
Knowledge of Flex.
User level
Advanced
Required products
- Flash Builder (Download trial)
Sample files
- data_mediaservices.zip (5 KB)
Additional requirements
Read the complete chapter
Chapter 7: Integrating via data and media services (PDF, 1.7M)
So far, you know how to combine Flex and Java using HTTP and web services. The last chapter surveyed a bunch of alternative mechanisms to achieve this. Most of these mechanisms involve loosely coupled text-based data interchange. Most of them interact by pulling data. Only one of them, Hessian, transmits binary data. Only one, Hessian again (with additional infrastructure powered by the new Java IO), allows data push.
Now, we delve into more tightly coupled scenarios and efficient binary data transmission using AMF (Action Message Format). The AMF specification can be accessed online at http://opensource.adobe.com. This chapter looks at both pull- and pushbased interactions—using data services and media servers. Adobe offers two alternatives for data services—the commercial LifeCycle Data Services (LCDS) and the open source BlazeDS—and it offers a suite of products for media servers: Flash Media Server (FMS) products. There are a few open source alternatives to these as well.
Figure 7-1. Data services architecture: an overview
In this chapter, I will analyze these products in the context of their applicability to rich, engaging enterprise-grade applications. Functionally they can be divided into the following three topics:
- Remoting and RPC
- Messaging and data push
- Media streaming
Note: Excerpted from AdvancED Flex 3 by Elad Elrom, Jack Herrington, Joshua Mostafa, Shashank Tiwari. Copyright © 2008. Used with permission of friends of ED. For more information about this book, visit friends of Ed.
