Introduction to Socket

Programming
 Protocol Families - TCP/IP
◼ Several protocols for different problems
◼ Protocol suites or protocol families: TCP/IP
◼ TCP/IP provides end-to-end connectivity specifying how data
should be
◼ Formatted,
◼ Addressed,
◼ Transmitted,
◼ Routed, and
◼ Received at the destination
◼ Can be used in the internet and in stand-alone private networks
◼ It is organized into layers

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 TCP/IP
*

FTP, SMTP, …

Transport Layer
TCP or UDP

Network Layer
IP
Communication
Channels

* image is taken from “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCP/IP_model”

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 TCP vs UDP
◼ Both useport numbers
❑ Application-specific construct serving as a communication endpoint
❑ 16-bit unsigned integer, thus ranging from 0 to 65535 to provide end-to-
end transport
◼ UDP: user datagram protocol
❑ No acknowledgements and No retransmissions
❑ Out of order, duplicates possible
❑ Connectionless, i.e., App indicates destination for each packet
◼ TCP: transmission control protocol
❑ Reliable byte-stream channel (in order, all arrive, no duplicates)
◼ Similar to file I/O
❑ Flow control
❑ Connection-oriented
❑ Bidirectional

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 TCP vs UDP
◼ TCP is used for services with a large data capacity, and a persistent
connection
◼ UDP is more commonly used for quick lookups, and single use query-
reply actions.
◼ Some common examples of TCP and UDP with their default ports:

DNS lookup UDP 53

FTP TCP 21
HTTP TCP 80
POP3 TCP 110
Telnet TCP 23

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 Berkley Sockets
◼ Universally known as Sockets
◼ It is an abstraction through which an
application may send and receive data
◼ Provide generic access to interprocess
communication services
◼ e.g. IPX/SPX, Appletalk, TCP/IP

◼ Standard API for networking

Application Application

Socket Socket

TCP TCP

IP Channel IP Channel IP

Host Router Host

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 Sockets
◼ Uniquely identified by
❑ An internet address
❑ An end-to-end protocol (e.G. TCP or UDP)

❑ A port number

◼ Two types of (TCP/IP) sockets Descriptor table

Internal data
◼ Stream sockets (e.G. Uses TCP) 0 structure for file 1
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◼ Provide reliable byte-stream service
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◼ Datagram sockets (e.G. Uses UDP) Family: AF_INET
Service: SOCK_STREAM
◼ Provide best-effort datagram service
Local_IP:
◼ Messages up to 65500 bytes Remote_IP:
Local_Port:
◼ Socket extend the convectional UNIX I/O facilities Remote_Port:
…
❑ File descriptors for network communication
❑ Extended the read and write system calls

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 Sockets
Descriptor
references

Applications

TCP sockets UDP sockets

Sockets bound to ports

TCP ports 1 2 65535 1 2 65535 UDP ports

TCP UDP

IP

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Socket Programming

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 Client-Server communication
◼ Server
❑ Passively waits for and responds to clients

❑ Passive socket

◼ Client
❑ Initiates the communication

❑ Must know the address and the port of the server

❑ Active socket

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 Client - Server Communication - Unix
Stream Datagram
Server (e.g. TCP) Client Server (e.g. UDP) Client
socket() socket() socket() socket()

bind() bind() bind()

listen()
synchronization
point
accept() connect()

recv() send() recvfrom() sendto()

send() recv() sendto() recvfrom()

close() close() close() close()

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Sockets - Procedures

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 Client - Server Communication - Unix
Stream Datagram
Server (e.g. TCP) Client Server (e.g. UDP) Client
socket() socket() socket() socket()

bind() bind() bind()

listen()
synchronization
point
accept() connect()

recv() send() recvfrom() sendto()

send() recv() sendto() recvfrom()

close() close() close() close()

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 Socket creation in C: socket()
◼ int sockid = socket(family, type, protocol);
❑ sockid: socket descriptor, an integer (like a file-handle)
❑ family: integer, communication domain, e.g.,
◼ PF_INET, IPv4 protocols, Internet addresses (typically used)
◼ PF_UNIX, Local communication, File addresses
❑ type: communication type
◼ SOCK_STREAM - reliable, 2-way, connection-based service
◼ SOCK_DGRAM - unreliable, connectionless, messages of maximum length
❑ protocol: specifies protocol
◼ IPPROTO_TCP IPPROTO_UDP
◼ usually set to 0 (i.e., use default protocol)
❑ upon failure returns -1
❑ NOTE: socket call does not specify where data will be coming from, nor
where it will be going to – it just creates the interface!

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 Client - Server Communication - Unix
Stream Datagram
Server (e.g. TCP) Client Server (e.g. UDP) Client
socket() socket() socket() socket()

bind() bind() bind()

listen()
synchronization
point
accept() connect()

recv() send() recvfrom() sendto()

send() recv() sendto() recvfrom()

close() close() close() close()

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 Socket close in C: close()
◼ When finished using a socket, the socket should be closed

◼ status = close(sockid);
❑ sockid: the file descriptor (socket being closed)
❑ status: 0 if successful, -1 if error

◼ Closing a socket
❑ closes a connection (for stream socket)
❑ frees up the port used by the socket

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 Specifying Addresses
◼ Socket API defines a generic data type for addresses:
struct sockaddr {
unsigned short sa_family; /* Address family (e.g. AF_INET) */
char sa_data[14]; /* Family-specific address information */
}

◼ Particular form of the sockaddr used for TCP/IP addresses:

struct in_addr {
unsigned long s_addr; /* Internet address (32 bits) */
}
struct sockaddr_in {
unsigned short sin_family; /* Internet protocol (AF_INET) */
unsigned short sin_port; /* Address port (16 bits) */
struct in_addr sin_addr; /* Internet address (32 bits) */
char sin_zero[8]; /* Not used */
}
• Important: sockaddr_in can be casted to a sockaddr

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 Client - Server Communication - Unix
Stream Datagram
Server (e.g. TCP) Client Server (e.g. UDP) Client
socket() socket() socket() socket()

bind() bind() bind()

listen()
synchronization
point
accept() connect()

recv() send() recvfrom() sendto()

send() recv() sendto() recvfrom()

close() close() close() close()

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 Assign address to socket: bind()
◼ associates and reserves aport for use by the socket

◼ int status = bind(sockid, &addrport, size);

❑ sockid: integer, socket descriptor
❑ addrport: struct sockaddr, the (IP) address and port of the machine
◼ for TCP/IP server, internet address is usually set to INADDR_ANY, i.e.,
chooses any incoming interface
❑ size: the size (in bytes) of the addrport structure
❑ status: upon failure -1 is returned

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 bind()- Example with TCP

int sockid;
struct sockaddr_in addrport;
sockid = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);

addrport.sin_family = AF_INET;
addrport.sin_port = htons(5100);
addrport.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(INADDR_ANY);
if(bind(sockid, (struct sockaddr *) &addrport, sizeof(addrport))!= -1) {
…}

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 Skipping the bind()
◼ Bind can be skipped for both types of sockets

◼ Datagram socket:
❑ If only sending, no needto bind.
❑ The osfinds aport each time the socket sends a packet
❑ If receiving, need to bind
◼ Stream socket:
❑ Destination determined during connection setup
❑ Don’t need to know port sending from (during connection setup,receiving end is
informed of port)

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 Client - Server Communication - Unix
Stream Datagram
Server (e.g. TCP) Client Server (e.g. UDP) Client
socket() socket() socket() socket()

bind() bind() bind()

listen()
synchronization
point
accept() connect()

recv() send() recvfrom() sendto()

send() recv() sendto() recvfrom()

close() close() close() close()

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 Assign address to socket: bind()
◼ Instructs TCP protocol implementation to listen for connections

◼ int status = listen(sockid, queueLimit);

❑ sockid: integer, socket descriptor
❑ queueLimit: integer, # of active participants that can “wait” for a connection
❑ status: 0 if listening, -1 if error
◼ listen()is non-blocking: returns immediately

◼ The listening socket (sockid)

❑ is never used for sending and receiving
❑ is used by the server only as a way to get new sockets

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 Client - Server Communication - Unix
Stream Datagram
Server (e.g. TCP) Client Server (e.g. UDP) Client
socket() socket() socket() socket()

bind() bind() bind()

listen()
synchronization
point
accept() connect()

recv() send() recvfrom() sendto()

send() recv() sendto() recvfrom()

close() close() close() close()

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 Establish Connection: connect()
◼ The client establishes aconnection with the server by calling connect()

◼ int status = connect(sockid, &foreignAddr, addrlen);

❑ sockid: integer, socket to be used in connection

❑ foreignAddr: struct sockaddr: address of the passive participant

❑ addrlen: integer, sizeof(name)

❑ status: 0 if successful connect, -1 otherwise

❑ connect() is blocking

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 Incoming Connection: accept()
◼ The server gets asocket for an incoming client connection by calling
accept()
◼ int s = accept(sockid, &clientAddr, &addrLen);
❑ s:integer, the new socket (used for data-transfer)
❑ sockid: integer, the orig. socket (being listened on)
❑ clientAddr: struct sockaddr, address of the active participant
◼ filled in upon return
❑ addrLen: sizeof(clientAddr): value/result parameter
◼ must be set appropriately before call
◼ adjusted upon return
◼ accept()
❑ is blocking: waits for connection before returning
❑ dequeues the next connection on the queue for socket (sockid)

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 Client - Server Communication - Unix
Stream Datagram
Server (e.g. TCP) Client Server (e.g. UDP) Client
socket() socket() socket() socket()

bind() bind() bind()

listen()
synchronization
point
accept() connect()

recv() send() recvfrom() sendto()

send() recv() sendto() recvfrom()

close() close() close() close()

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 Exchanging data with stream socket
◼ int count = send(sockid, msg, msgLen, flags);
❑ msg: const void[], message to betransmitted
❑ msgLen: integer, length of message (in bytes) to transmit
❑ flags: integer, special options, usually just 0
❑ count: # bytes transmitted (-1 if error)

◼ int count = recv(sockid, recvBuf, bufLen, flags);

❑ recvBuf: void[], stores received bytes
❑ bufLen: # bytes received
❑ flags: integer, special options, usually just 0
❑ count: # bytes received (-1 if error)

◼ Calls are blocking

returns only after data is sent / received
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 Exchanging data with datagram socket
◼ int count = sendto(sockid, msg, msgLen, flags, &foreignAddr,
addrlen);
❑ msg, msgLen, flags, count: same with send()
❑ foreignAddr: struct sockaddr, address of the destination
❑ addrLen: sizeof(foreignAddr)

◼ int count = recvfrom(sockid, recvBuf, bufLen, flags,

&clientAddr, addrlen);
❑ recvBuf, bufLen, flags, count: same with recv()
❑ clientAddr: struct sockaddr, address of the client
❑ addrLen: sizeof(clientAddr)

◼ Calls are blocking

❑ returns only after data is sent / received
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 Self Practice – Echo Server and Client
◼ A client communicates with an “echo” server
◼ The server simply echoes whatever it receives back to the client

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