The JADE Object Manager supports complex objects in an efficient form that is easy to use. A complex object consists of data and operations to manipulate that data. (A process is the activation of a single thread of control.)
A node is an installation of JADE that dynamically supports the client role and the server role on the same workstation. A client node is a node initiating a request and a server node is the node processing the request. Each node can take on client or server roles.
A node processing a request received from a server node can invoke a client role for a callback to the initiating client. Nodes handle the multiple threading of processes.
In the development architecture, the client and server can be nodes on the Local Area Network (LAN), and not dedicated workstation functions. The JADE Object Manager provides a more-flexible distributed processing environment, as you are not restricted to the rigid client/server partitions enforced by other models.
The principal JADE Object Manager characteristics are:
Object model functionality
Seamless interface to the object model
Extensibility of schema and storage media
High performance
Automatic referential integrity support
Recovery
Configures, initiates, and controls multiple threads
The JADE Object Manager:
Encapsulates data and has class independence
Can store data and methods
Holds data that can be used only by the methods of the classes; that is, data is designed for specific methods only
Contains active objects, whose methods are executed in response to requests
Contains classes that can be reused
Can reorganize classes without affecting the use of those classes
Can contain complex data structures whose complexity need not be known by the end-users