Windchill Java clients use Java RMI to communicate with Windchill servers. To use RMI, a client must first obtain a reference to a remote object on which it can invoke methods. The Java RMI runtime initiates this operation by using the concept of a bootstrap registry object, which clients have a built-in ability to construct. This allows them to invoke lookup operations on the registry and receive other, references to remote objects.

To reduce the complexity of the system as well as reduce the number of network connections between clients and servers, Windchill runs its own registry object in the server manager, using a configurable port number. The only object registered in this registry is the local server manager implementation. Other Java RMI applications do not share this registry, and Windchill does not depend on any registry that other Java RMI applications may be using.

Unlike the default RMI registry implementation, the one used internally by the server manager allows client connections to be timed out, which improves the scalability of the system in environments with many users. This flexibility is one of the justifications for controlling the bootstrap registry as an internal part of the Windchill system.