Definition

sockets

Sockets is a method for communication between a client program and a server program in a network. A socket is defined as "the endpoint in a connection." Sockets are created and used with a set of programming requests or "function calls" sometimes called the sockets application programming interface (API). The most common sockets API is the Berkeley UNIX C interface for sockets. Sockets can also be used for communication between processes within the same computer.

This is the typical sequence of sockets requests from a server application in the "connectionless" context of the Internet in which a server handles many client requests and does not maintain a connection longer than the serving of the immediate request:

socket()
|
bind()
|
recvfrom()
|
(wait for a sendto request from some client)
|
(process the sendto request)
|
sendto (in reply to the request from the client...for example, send an HTML file)

A corresponding client sequence of sockets requests would be:

socket()
|
bind()
|
sendto()
|
recvfrom()

Sockets can also be used for "connection-oriented" transactions with a somewhat different sequence of C language system calls or functions.

Contributor(s): John Harschutz
This was last updated in April 2005
Posted by: Margaret Rouse

Email Alerts

Register now to receive SearchCIO-MidMarket.com-related news, tips and more, delivered to your inbox.
By submitting you agree to receive email from TechTarget and its partners. If you reside outside of the United States, you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Privacy

More News and Tutorials

  • Remote backup can ease network disaster recovery

    Backing up to local disk or tape can protect against the accidental destruction of a file but will do nothing to protect you when your facility suffers fire or flooding. Remote backup provides a better solution. This tip looks at two possibilities for remote backup: Choosing an outsourced remote backup service, or using software to do your own backups to an offsite facility.

  • VoIP now part of phishing attacks

    Learn how attackers are using the widespread deployment of low-cost VoIP to leverage phishing attacks.

  • VoIP privacy on the WAN

    Is the government listening to your VoIP traffic? Can other companies spy on your WAN? It may sound like a paranoid conspiracy theory, but it's not that far out, technologically speaking. In this tip, Tom Lancaster looks at just how exposed your WAN traffic may be.

Do you have something to add to this definition? Let us know.

Send your comments to techterms@whatis.com
Back to top