What is a socket?

[Verónica Muñoz Segovia]

Who could provide me, what is the concept of socket? I'm a little loss about that.

What is the impact on a HP-UX 10.20 that is using sockets?

I'm doing a system performance study and I would like to define the impact on my system that is using a lot of sockets?

Best Regards,

Veronica.

[James R. Ferguson]

Veronica:

See this thread for a brief overview of "what is a socket" and some good references to programming sockets. This should get you started!

...JRF...

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Veronica:

See this thread for a brief overview of "what is a socket" and some good references to programming sockets. This should get you started!

http://my1.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,1150,0xfd096d96588ad4118fef0090279cd0f9,00.html

...JRF...

[RikTytgat]

Hi,

A socket is one end of a network connection.

One socket equals one open file on HP-UX. The only kernel resource it uses is an entry in the open file table.

The activity on a socket uses system resources too, just like reading from and writing to a file does.

For a good description of what a socket is, I'd like to refer to 'Unix Network Programming' by Richard W Stevens (ISBN 0-13-949876-1).

Hope this helps,
Rik.

[Verónica Muñoz Segovia]

Thanks for the info and reference!

Veronica

[Verónica Muñoz Segovia]

Just to complete my question who can tell me what are the advantages and disadvantages when we use sockets?

Thanks in advance.

[James R. Ferguson]

Veronica:

In answer to your last question: TCP/IP sockets are a de facto standard which many, many people understand how to program and use. One advantage to using them is that many different operating systems support the paradigm, and therefore can interoperate with one another.

As for performance impact, this is a relative issue. Properly programmed, a TCP/IP socket interface is a very efficient way to exchange data. Like anything, a poorly written socket application can certainly have adverse affects on system performance.

...JRF...

[Alan Riggs]

Advantages: use of well-defined network protocols, portability, consistency across operating environment.

Disadvantages: possible security issues with well-defined network protocols. (probably overridden by the plethora of networking and security resources available to detect/prevent problems.)

Basically, if you want a client-server program to be network aware you need to have some means for it to talk across the wire. Sockets are the way that happens in the TCP (or OSI) networking model. If you choose to use something else, you have a much more difficult job ahead of you in creating and maintaining the necessary communications protocols. You also make your code much more difficult to port.

[Verónica Muñoz Segovia]

I'm a lucky girl I had very good answers.

Thanks to all.

Veronica.

[James R. Ferguson]

Veronica:

I'm glad we could help! Thank you for expressing your appreciation so warmly.

Regards, Jim.

...JRF...