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.
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> [ Users <==> HttpClients <==> Tunnel(s) ] <==> [ Peer HttpServers ]
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> 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.
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> 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?
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> 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.
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> -V.B.
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