Important
Be aware, JBoss Communications Stream Library is subject to changes as it is under active development!
JBoss Communications Stream Library builds layer of abstraction with API similar to NIO . Abstraction is built with three main components:
Selector - performs stream queries and presents user with streams ready for I/O operations.
SelectorKey - represents stream in selectors space
Stream - straight as it is, a stream of data
Beside simplified stream API , there is also need for SCTP(SCTP is not available in JDK6) like streaming. JBoss Communications Stream Library provides such feature over defined stream API .
Datalink
is a proprietary protocol designed to provide following:
peer to peer transport
reliable delivery - retransmissions
stream status metadata - provide user with stream status info(active,inactive, down...). Metadata is information which ifnroms peers about readiness to receive data for instance.
async I/O
Generaly
Datalink
can be imagined as follows:
Datalink follows state machine which reassembles one depicted on diagram below:
