TableModelService

This is a sample source code that you can use to bind the table to Hibernate:

// This is the Hibernate session (we assume it is open)
private Session session;


public int getRowsCount(String[] filterColumns, String[] filterValues) {
	// Create criteria for all entities, i.e. SELECT * FROM ...
	Criteria itemsCriteria = this.session.createCriteria(Item.class);

	// Apply data filters (if any), i.e. WHERE ...
	if (filterColumns != null) {
		// Check if filters are valid
		if (filterColumns.length != filterValues.length) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid filter!");
		}

		for (int i=0; i < filterColumns.length; i++) {
			String column = filterColumns[i];
			String value = filterValues[i];
			Criterion criterion = Expression.eq(column, value);
			itemsCriteria.add(criterion);
		}
	}
	
	// Apply row count projection, i.e. SELECT COUNT(*) ...
	itemsCriteria.setProjection(Projections.rowCount()); 

	// Return the rows count returned by the database query
	int recordsCount = (Integer) itemsCriteria.uniqueResult();
	return recordsCount;
}


@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
public List<Item> getRows(int startRow, int rowsCount,
		String[] filterColumns, String[] filterValues, 
		String sortColumn, boolean sortOrder) {
	
	// Create criteria for all entities, i.e. SELECT * FROM ...
	Criteria itemsCriteria = this.session.createCriteria(Item.class);

	// Apply data filters (if any), i.e. WHERE ...
	if (filterColumns != null) {
		// Check if filters are valid
		if (filterColumns.length != filterValues.length) {
			throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid filter!");
		}

		for (int i=0; i < filterColumns.length; i++) {
			String column = filterColumns[i];
			String value = filterValues[i];
			Criterion criterion = Expression.eq(column, value);
			itemsCriteria.add(criterion);
		}
	}
	
	// Apply sorting criteria
	if (sortColumn != null) {
		Order order;
		if (sortOrder) {
			order = Order.asc(sortColumn);
		} 
		else {
			order = Order.desc(sortColumn);
		}
		itemsCriteria.addOrder(order);
	}
	
	// Apply data paging
	itemsCriteria.setFirstResult(startRow);
	itemsCriteria.setMaxResults(rowsCount);
	
	// Execute query and return results
	List<Item> items = itemsCriteria.list();
	return items;
}

You may need this code also:

public class ItemsTableModelServiceImpl extends HibernateServiceImpl 
		implements TableModelService {

	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

	TableColumn[] columns = { 
			new TableColumn("Title", "Title"), 
			new TableColumn("Description", "Description"),
			new TableColumn("IngestionDate", "Ingestion Date"), 
			new TableColumn("State", "State") };

	public TableColumn[] getColumns() {
		return columns;
	}

	public int getRowsCount(DataFilter[] filters) {
		ItemViewDAO itemViewDAO = new ItemViewDAO();
		String[] filterColumns = ReflectionUtils.extractFilterColumns(filters);
		String[] filterValues = ReflectionUtils.extractFilterValues(filters);
		int rowsCount = itemViewDAO.getRowsCount(filterColumns, filterValues);
		return rowsCount;
	}

	public String[][] getRows(int startRow, int rowsCount, 
			DataFilter[] filters, String sortColumn, boolean sortOrder) {
		ItemViewDAO itemViewDAO = new ItemViewDAO();
		String[] filterColumns = ReflectionUtils.extractFilterColumns(filters);
		String[] filterValues = ReflectionUtils.extractFilterValues(filters);
		List<ItemView> items = itemViewDAO.getRows(startRow, rowsCount, filterColumns, filterValues, sortColumn, sortOrder);
		String[][] tableRows = ReflectionUtils.convertToStringArray(items, this.columns);
		return tableRows;
	}

}

This Hibernate session management interceptor class could also be useful:

public class HibernateServiceImpl extends RemoteServiceServlet {

	private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

	@Override
	public void service(ServletRequest request, ServletResponse response)
			throws ServletException, IOException {
		try {
			HibernateSessionManager.openSession();
			super.service(request, response);
			HibernateSessionManager.commitTransaction();
		}
		catch (Exception ex) {
			HibernateSessionManager.rollbackTransaction();
			if (ex instanceof RuntimeException) {
				throw (RuntimeException) ex;
			}
			else {
				throw new ServletException(ex);
			}
		}
		finally {
			HibernateSessionManager.closeSession();
		}
	}

}

I think it would be better if, instead of passing the filters into both getRowsCount and getRows, there was a single "setFilters" call, and then both getRowsCount and getRows would use those filters. In my implementation, I'd like to make a server-side copy of the filtered data just once, and then return the rows from that copy, instead of having to re-filter the data on every call.

I do not agree with ptomblin. Doing so you will have to create own instance of service for each of your user. Or otherwise, filters of concurrent users will be mixed in one server-side instance.