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c++tcp

What the receiver do if the message is segmented by TCP

I raised this question when reading the source code of muduo (C++ network library).

If a client sends a big size message which will be segmented by TCP, what happens in server side? (Does server know this message is already segmented?)

And is it necessary for network library to wait for the whole message and do not interrupt the upper layer?

Solution

  • When dealing with a stream protocol like TCP, you already have to reassemble received data into chunks of your own choosing. That's either a fixed number of bytes per chunk, or it's decided dynamically by parsing the data in terms of your application's protocol (e.g. HTTP).

    You don't know when you receive a packet from the network layer that it has been segmented: you only know that you received some data. You may know (because you understand your own protocol) that you're expecting more data to finish the chunk, but you won't know whether there is any more data until you receive it. If you do receive it.

    Conversely, a single TCP packet may well contain more than a single chunk of your application-layer data! Again, you need to be aware that there is no direct relationship between the two things.

    You can, however, depend on the TCP packets being delivered in the same order in which they were sent, which is nice.

    Simple analogy: a big ol' ship, carrying cargo. It may be carrying 40 cars, or it may be carrying just half the quantity of parts required to construct an airplane. Or it may be carrying both! You don't know until you read the shipping manifest and consult your own records on delivery. It's then your responsibility to unpack what you've received and do what you need to do with it.

    And is it necessary for network library to wait for the whole message and do not interrupt the upper layer?

    If the library wants to pass a full "message" to the upper layer, then usually yes. Some approaches will just block waiting for a full message, but that's not common nowadays. Asynchronous I/O is your friend.

    (This was a generic answer, written with no knowledge of what muduo does specifically.)