[Dovecot] calling dovecot exported auth from Java

[WJCarpenter]

As far as I have been able to figure out, dovecot auth always works over 
a Unix domain socket.  I believe it is not currently possible to operate 
dovecot auth over an Internet domain (TCP) socket.  Am I correct?

I want to call dovecot's exported authentication from a Java 
application.  Java doesn't natively know how to talk to a Unix domain 
socket, so there are inconveniences.  There are 3rd party JNI libraries 
to allow Java to do it, but I'm not too wild about the idea of using 
JNI.  My current thinking is to rig up some kind of proxy/shuttle 
arrangement between a localhost TCP port and the dovecot auth Unix 
domain socket in the filesystem.  I'm looking at using the more or less 
standard tool "socat" to do that.  ('m on a mainstream Linux distribution.)

Has anyone else confronted and solved this problem?  Do tell us the 
details .... :-)

TIA!