Remote Procedure Call (RPC) refers to a protocol and mechanism that enables a program on one computer to execute a procedure on a remote computer as if it were a local procedure call. The concept of RPC is based on the client-server model, where the client sends a request to the server and waits for a response.

Java provides support for RPC through the Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) framework. RMI allows Java objects to invoke methods on remote Java objects, enabling distributed Java applications to communicate with one another. RMI uses a stub and skeleton architecture to facilitate the communication between client and server.

The RMI framework handles the marshalling and unmarshalling of arguments and return values across the network. The RMI runtime uses Java object serialization to represent data in a format that can be sent across the network. Therefore, both the client and server must have compatible Java class definitions.

RMI provides several benefits such as location transparency, simplicity, and security. Location transparency means that the client does not need to be aware of the actual location of the server. Simplicity refers to the ease of use of the RMI framework. Security is based on Java security policies that can be enforced at runtime.

Overall, RPC enables distributed Java applications to work together seamlessly by executing remote procedures as if they were local. RMI provides a convenient and secure framework for implementing RPC in Java.