Section 5.14. Network Programming

5.14. Network Programming

Network programming makes it possible for two applications to communicate with each other through a common protocol. A socket is the basic interface that provides this communication link. It provides an end-to-end communications link between a client (requestor) and a server (providing service). AIX and Linux provide support for socket communications, and Table 5-10 compares differences between the two.

Table 5-10. AIX and Linux System API Comparison: Network Programming

AIX	Linux Equivalent	Description
accept	Accept	Accept connection on a socket.
bind	Bind	Bind an address to a socket.
connect	connect	Initiate a connection on a socket.
getdomainname setdomainnanme	geTDomainname setdomainname	Get/set domain name.
gethostid sethostid	gethostid sethosid	Get or set the unique identifier of the current host.
gethostname sethostname	gethostname sethostname	Get/set host name.
gethostbyname	gethostbyname	Get network host entry by name.
gethostbyaddr	gethostbyaddr	Get host entry by address.
getservbyname	getservbyname	Get service entry by name (according to /etc/services file).
getservbyport	getservbyport	Get service entry by port (according to /etc/services file).
getpeername	getpeername	Get name of connected peer socket.
getsockname	getsockname	Get socket name.
getsockopt setsockopt	getsockopt setsockoopt	Get/set options on a socket.
listen	listen	Listen for socket connections and limit the backlog of incoming connections.
recv	recv	Receive messages from connected sockets.
recvfrom	recvfrom	Receive messages from a connected or unconnected socket.
recvmsg	recvmsg	Receive messages from any socket. Identical to recvfrom.
send	send	Send a message from a socket.
sendmsg	sendmsg	Send a message from a connected or unconnected socket.
sendto	sendto	Send a message anytime. Identical to sendmsg.
sendfile	sendfile	Send data between file descriptors.
shutdown	shutdown	Shut down part of a full-duplex connection between two sockets.
socket	socket	Create an endpoint for communication.
socketpair	socketpair	Create a pair of connected sockets.

The sockets APIs originated with the 4.2BSD system released in 1983. The final release 4.4BSD at Berkley is widely used today and is considered the Berkley-derived implementation of sockets. The APIs in the preceding table are based on the Berkley-derived socket interface.