Python Server Java Client problem with OmniOrb

[JDS]

Hi:

I am trying to run a simple Hello World program with OmniNames as the
name server on NT. I can launch the naming service and bind the Server
to it. In the client, if I use the IOR for the HelloServant, I don't
have any problem:
--------------
	    ORB orb = ORB.init(args, null);
	    String ior = args[0];
	    org.omg.CORBA.Object obj = orb.string_to_object(ior);
      	    HelloApp.Hello helloRef = HelloHelper.narrow(obj);


	    String hel = helloRef.sayHello();
	    System.out.println(hel);
--------------

However if I try to do the same by getting the IOR for the Root and
going down from there, I get errors while running as follows:

---------------
	    ORB orb = ORB.init(args, null);
	    String ior = args[0];
	    org.omg.CORBA.Object obj = orb.string_to_object(ior); // ERROR
      	    NamingContext ncRef = NamingContextHelper.narrow(obj);
      	    NameComponent nc = new NameComponent("Hello", "");
            NameComponent path[] = {nc};
            Hello helloRef = HelloHelper.narrow(ncRef.resolve(path));
            String Hello = helloRef.sayHello();
            System.out.println(Hello);      

ERROR : java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException
        at com.sun.corba.se.internal.util.Utility.bytesToInt(Unknown
Source)
        at com.sun.corba.se.internal.iiop.CDRInputStream.read_Object(Unknown
Sou
rce)
        at com.sun.corba.se.internal.iiop.CDRInputStream.read_Object(Unknown
Sou
rce)
        at com.sun.corba.se.internal.corba.ORB.string_to_object(Unknown
Source)
        at HelloClient3.main(HelloClient3.java:18)
---------------

The IOR that I give at the commandline is the one I get when I start
omniNames using omniNames -start 10000.
Root Context is IOR:010000002b00000049444c3a6f6d672e6f72672f436f734e616d696e672f
4e616d696e67436f6e746578744578743a312e300000010000000000000027000000010100000e00
00003139382e33302e39362e3231300010270b0000004e616d6553657276696365

Questions:
Q1. Why do I get the above errors?
Q2. How can I get my Java Client to always get the proper IOR for the
Naming Service when I start it up (using the system environment)
Q3. If I am able to get the client to get the root object properly,
can I replace the orb.string_to_object() call by:
	    org.omg.CORBA.Object objRef =
                 orb.resolve_initial_references("NameService");


Thanks,

JDS.
jds at iti-oh.com