Weblogic Server T3 Protocol

T3 is BEA's proprietary protocol. T3 provides a framework for WebLogic Server messages that support for enhancements. These enhancements include abbreviations and features, such as object replacement, that work in the context of WebLogic Server clusters and HTTP and other product tunneling.

Weblogic's implementation of the RMI specification uses a proprietary T3 wire-protocol. javasoft's reference implementation of RMI uses a proprietary protocol called JRMP. weblogic developed T3 because they needed a scalable,efficient protocol for building enterprise-class distributed object systems with java.

T3 is mandated between WebLogic Servers and between programmatic clients and a WebLogic Server cluster. HTTP and IIOP are optional protocols that can be used to communicate between other processes and WebLogic Server. It depends on what you want to do. For example, when you want to communicate between n A browser and WebLogic Server-use HTTP
n An ORB and WebLogic Server-IIOP.

T3 predates Java Object Serialization and RMI, while closely tracking and leveraging these specifications. T3 is a superset of Java Object. Serialization or RMI, anything you can do in Java Object Serialization and RMI can be done over T3.