What is the difference between stateful and stateless beans in Java EE?

In Java EE, stateful and stateless beans are types of session beans that serve different purposes in enterprise applications:

Stateful Beans:

Stateful beans maintain conversational state with the client across multiple method invocations. The state is retained as long as the client maintains the session with the bean. Stateful beans are suitable for scenarios where the client needs to maintain a specific context or state throughout the interaction.

Stateless Beans:

Stateless beans, on the other hand, do not maintain conversational state with the client. Each method invocation is independent, and the bean does not store any client-specific data between calls. Stateless beans are more lightweight and scalable compared to stateful beans, making them ideal for scenarios where state management is not required.

Understanding the difference between stateful and stateless beans in Java EE is crucial for designing and implementing efficient and scalable enterprise applications.