Asynchronous Networking

This section introduces asynchronous network communication, using sockets or Transport-Level Interface (TLI) for real-time applications. Asynchronous networking with sockets is done by setting an open socket, of type SOCK_STREAM, to asynchronous and non blocking (see "Asynchronous Socket I/O in "Advanced Topics" in Network Interface Guide). Asynchronous network processing of TLI events is supported using a combination of STREAMS asynchronous features and the non-blocking mode of the TLI library routines (see "Asynchronous Networking" in Network Interface Guide).

For more information on the Transport-Level Interface, see "Socket Interfaces" in Network Interface Guide.

Modes of Networking

Both sockets and Transport-Level Interface provide two modes of service: connection-mode and connectionless-mode.

Connection-Mode Service

Connection-mode service is circuit-oriented and enables the transmission of data over an established connection in a reliable, sequenced manner. It also provides an identification procedure that avoids the overhead of address resolution and transmission during the data transfer phase. This service is attractive for applications that require relatively long-lived, datastream-oriented interactions.

Connectionless-Mode Service

Connectionless-mode service is message-oriented and supports data transfer in self-contained units with no logical relationship required among multiple units. All information required to deliver a unit of data, including the destination address, is passed by the sender to the transport provider, together with the data, in a single service request. Connectionless-mode service is attractive for applications that involve short-term request/response interactions and do not require guaranteed, in-sequence delivery of data. It is generally assumed that connectionless transports are unreliable.