gtpc1m2g | Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol |
Local sockets is a form of loopback processing that allows you to test a socket client and server application running in the same TPF system without using or needing a real network.
When an IP packet is built by the TPF system, the destination IP address in the packet is examined and, if it is a local IP address of this TPF host, the packet is placed on the input list to make it look like the packet was received from the network. When this occurs the packet is not added to the IP output queue to be sent to the network.
To use local sockets, you do not need to have any IP routers active or even defined to your TPF system.
Local sockets can be used in TPF test systems to test new socket applications. Local sockets can also be used in a TPF production system environment. For example, if you have a socket client application on your TPF system that sends messages to server applications that reside in different locations (one of which is in the same TPF system as the client), the client application can use the same socket interface to communicate with remote servers as well as the local server.