public abstract class NetworkPeer implements java.rmi.Remote {
    public void exportMethods() throws java.rmi.RemoteException {
        java.rmi.server.UnicastRemoteObject.exportObject(this);
    }
    public java.rmi.Remote locatePeer(String peerHost,
                                      int peerPort,
                                      String peerName) throws Exception {
        return java.rmi.Naming.lookup("rmi://" + peerHost + ":" + peerPort + "/" + peerName);
    }
    public void startAsNetworkClientOf(String peerHost,
                                       int peerPort,
                                       String peerName) throws Exception {
        this.exportMethods();
        java.rmi.Remote peer = this.locatePeer(peerHost, peerPort, peerName);
        this.startAsClientOf(peer); // see below ...
    }
    public abstract void startAsClientOf(java.rmi.Remote peer) throws java.rmi.RemoteException;
    public void startAsNetworkServer(String name, int port) {
        System.setSecurityManager(new java.rmi.RMISecurityManager());
        try {
            this.exportMethods();
            java.rmi.registry.Registry registry = java.rmi.registry.LocateRegistry.createRegistry(port);
            registry.bind(name, this);
            this.startAsLocalServer(); // see below ...
            System.out.println("Server is ready ... ");
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Server error: " + e + " ... ");
        }
    }
    public abstract void startAsLocalServer(); // perhaps a better name would be startAsServer...
}