OSGi Application nested submodule messaging

Question to the forum. We are rewriting our 120K line GWT application to run on an OSGi architecture so that we no longer deploy a megawar file and can update individual parts of the application (currently 25 modules, will be 85 in a year) UI and services without affecting others. We've created an OSGi container that can bundle GWT applications and dynamically load/unload their RPC serialization files, but we're not done yet.

Problem:

We use a core application loading screen from which users go to submodules. We are using the design of a Header/Foot and center container here. The Header/Foot are part of the core application and we use the center pane to load the submodule in an iFrame. The rub: we need to pass some state information from the opened submodule back to the core application so that the Header/Footer views in the core application can be updated with Header/Footer customizations from the submodule.

While I know I could just make the Header/Foot part of the submodule, and then just open a new .html page to load the submodule, there are many buttons and services in the Header/Footer that don't make sense to replicate in each submodule. Further, if we update the Header/Footer, we don't want to have to redeploy each submodule to make them match.

Potential messaging mechanisms:

• Pass messages via Cookie with polling (ugly)
  
• Have iFrame parent poll for changes in iFrame DOM (or JSNI method in iFrame like getHeaderState())
  
• Update page URL with hashed state information (not so good, finite data limit)
  

I'd rather not have to poll at intervals and the URL mechanism seems like an anit-pattern. Has anyone else solved this problem before? Thx.

Sincerely,

Joseph

P.S. I'll attach a diagram later tonight. Seems you cannot add a picture w/o using G+ and like many companies we block social media access. :(

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