Re: Http Core NIO Client Using non-socket Channel

> I am trying to use HTTP Core NIO module to build highly scalable HTTP clients
> that do not directly use sockets to connect to peer HTTP servers. The network
> topology involves a tunnel and hence not amenable to a direct socket to the
> peer.
>
> [ Users <==> HttpClients <==> Tunnel(s) ] <==> [ Peer HttpServers ]
>
> My first thought was to simply use an instance of pair of
> java.nio.channels.Pipe pipeIn, pipeOut and use these pipes to hook up with my
> tunnel IO module. For outcoming (w.r.t. HttpClient) pipeOut.sink channel will
> enable HttpClient to write data to my tunnel and pipeIn.source will enable
> HttpClient to read data from my tunnel. Tunnel module in conjunction with
> Users interaction would be responsible for channel setup and teardown. Note
> that Channel setup and teardown entails special tunnelling protocol events
> and hence cannot be straight Selector event driven like current
> implementation in DefaultConnectingIOReactor.
>
> The current implementation of HTTP Core expects a SocketChannel and hence it
> does not seem feasible to directly hook up any other types of channels. Do
> you recommend an integration strategy that would be inline with future
> direction?
>
> BaseIOReactor is being created by DefaultConnectingIOReactor and expects a
> ChannelEntry that requires a SocketChannel. Instead an abstract ChannelEntry
> that would assume channel is any nio channel could be used. This would
> however require current code that expects channel to be a socket - e.g.
> setting socket preferences can check if it is indeed a SocketChannel. I am
> not sure how pervasive is such a change and if there is a better idea that
> can prevent such change.
>
> -V.B.