Run Java application as a Windows2000 service - Interaction with PHP

Hi everyone,

I'm currently willing to launch a Java application as a windows2000 service.

The context:
I have a website that allows the user something similar to a search engine that searches "news" among the database. This site is develloped with PHP.

Parallelly, i must also have a Java app that periodically "scans" the database for new entries, and accordingly to a pre-established user profiles, would email the users, whether or not it matches his demands.

--------The dilemma:

Both the search engine and the Java application have a similar matching algorithm.

Is it possible to launch Java applications as services in win2000?
Is it possible to launch a java application (server) as a service, and to launch clients to it within the php page script, wherever the user searches the website?

i would have

java aplication(server running as a service)--<-1->---java app(clients)---<-2->--PHP/HTML generation


If this makes any sense how can i send and retrieve data between a java application (client) and the PHP script.
In the same context, Do i need the java client?

Is this interaction possible:

java aplication(server running as a service)--<-1->---PHP/HTML generation


I would apreciate your valuable advice,
Thanks in advance,


Irina/Lisbon/Portugal

It's possible to run a java app as a web service, search at freshmeat.net/sourceforge.net or read the suggestions given for Mckoi database.
Hope this helps!