The results of using J2EE in practice are often disappointing - applications are often slow, unduly complex, and take too long to develop. I believe that the problem lies not in J2EE itself, but in that it is often used badly. Many J2EE publications advocate approaches that, while fine in theory, often fail in reality, or deliver no real business value.

In this book I offer a real-world, how-to guide so that you can make J2EE work in practice. I draw on my experience of designing successful high-volume J2EE applications and salvaging failing projects, as well as intimate knowledge of the J2EE specifications.

I'll help you to solve common problems with J2EE and avoid the expensive mistakes often made in J2EE projects. I will guide you through the complexity of the J2EE services and APIs to enable you to build the simplest possible solution, on time and on budget. I take a practical, pragmatic approach, questioning J2EE orthodoxy where it has failed to deliver results in practice and instead suggesting effective, proven approaches.

What you will learn from this book

• When to use a distributed architecture
• When and how to use EJB
• How to develop an efficient data access strategy
• How to design a clean and maintainable web interface
• How to design J2EE applications for performance

"I just wish this book had been around earlier when I was starting enterprise Java development. This book shows the benefits and pitfalls of J2EE and how best to avoid them." —Andrew J. Smith, Java Architect

"Rod's depth and breadth of experience is quite impressive! J2EE developers can avoid many of the hard lessons Rod learned by reading this book." —Todd Lauinger, Software Construction Fellow, Best Buy, Inc.