BSD Sockets Interface Programmer's Guide

124 Chapter 6

Using UNIX Domain Stream Sockets

Overview

UNIX Domain (AF_UNIX) stream sockets provide bidirectional, reliable,

unduplicated ﬂow of data without record boundaries. They offer

signiﬁcant performance increases when compared with the use of local

internet (AF_INET) sockets, due primarily to lower code execution

overhead. The following table lists the steps involved in creating and

terminating a UNIX Domain BSD Sockets connection using stream

sockets.

Table 6-1 Creating/Terminating BSD Sockets Connections Using UNIX

Domain Stream Sockets

Client

Process

Activity

System

Call Used

Server Process

Activity

System Call

Used

create a socket socket() create a socket socket()

bind a socket

address

bind()

listen for incoming

connection

requests

listen()

request a

connection

connect()

accept connection accept()

send data write() or

send()

receive data read() or

recv()