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package com.sun.enterprise.util;

import java.rmi.Remote;
import java.rmi.RemoteException;

/**
 * Interface for server-side implementation of unique value
 * generator.  NOTE : This is not intended to be used by clients
 * that need unique numbers.  It is only used internally
 * by concrete UniqueValueGenerator implementations.  Clients should
 * use UniqueValueGeneratorFactory and UniqueValueGenerator instead.
 *
 * @author Kenneth Saks
 */
public interface UniqueValueGeneratorBackend extends Remote {

    // Name under which server side object is registered
    String JNDI_NAME = "J2EE_UNIQUE_VALUE_GEN";

    /**
     * Id generated by backend upon startup that will be unique
     * for each successive invocation of the same j2ee server instance.
     */
    String getGeneratorId() throws RemoteException;
    
    /**
     * Get another block of unique numbers for a particular context.
     */
    UniqueValueBlock getNextValueBlock(String context) throws RemoteException;


}