If you've had any experience with RDS, you know it can get pretty complicated. Remote Scripting (which uses a small Java applet) can often be a more lightweight solution. One of the best remote scripting solutions I've found is by Brent Ashley http://www.ashleyit.com/ who calls his solution JSRS (Javascript Remote Scripting). He uses no Java Applet, only a hidden "Container" typically in an IFRAME, to receive the results of the server call into the client page. Ashley's solution is also cross-browser compatible.
