Java RMI: Client timeout

Creating a timeout for Java RMI client is important  since LocateRegistry.getRegistry would make your application unresponsive when the Java RMI server is not available. To create a timeout at the client-side, I suggest you to use ExecutorService. The following codes is an example how to use it:

Suppose you have your localhost listening on port 1099 for RMI and your server serve an interface

public interface RMIService() {
  public String sayHello throws RemoteException;
}

Then at your client app, you do this

ExecutorService executor = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
Future<String> future = executor.submit(new Callable<Object>() {
 
  @Override
  public Object call() throws Exception {
    String host = "localhost";
    int port = 1099;
    RMIService service = (RMIService) LocateRegistry
      .getRegistry(host, port).lookup("RMIService");
    System.err.println(service.sayHello());
    return null;
  }

});
 
try {
  future.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
} catch (InterruptedException | TimeoutException |
    ExecutionException e) {
  System.err.println(e.getMessage());
}

The above code will try executing the remote method and will throw exception if  the lookup time exceeds 5 seconds.

Hope this helps. :)