JINI is a programming model that enables the configuration and deployment of distributed systems. It allows devices to easily join a community network with minimal configuration or human intervention. In a JINI network, services (resources) can be hardware or software written in Java that provide functionality through distributed interfaces. Clients can locate and access services through a lookup service. When a device joins the network, it registers with the lookup service, and clients can discover available services. This allows different users connected to the network to easily share resources.