Tundra Chat Protocol: Enterprise-Grade Real-Time Communication for AI and Messaging Systems
The Tundra Chat Protocol is a high-performance, production-ready chat protocol designed for demanding real-time applications. Whether youโre building a scalable messaging system, coordinating AI agents, or powering enterprise chat, Tundra delivers reliability, speed, and advanced features far beyond simple chat functionality.
๐ Overview
Tundra Chat Protocol is engineered for real-time communication, robust session management, and seamless AI agent integration. Its custom binary protocol, efficient architecture, and comprehensive feature set make it ideal for mission-critical systems.
๐ Key Features
Advanced Protocol Design
- Custom Binary Protocol: 7-byte header with version, flags, sequence, length, and type encoding
- High Efficiency: Outperforms HTTP/JSON-based chat systems
- 12+ Message Types: Supports a wide range of communication needs
Enterprise-Grade Session Management
- UUID-based Connection Tracking: Unique session IDs for every client
- Automatic Reconnection: Seamless session restoration
- Session Timeout Handling: 2-minute default, configurable
- Username Conflict Detection: Prevents duplicate usernames
Message Reliability
- Message Buffering: Up to 50 messages stored per disconnected user
- Offline Message Delivery: Buffered messages sent on reconnection
- No Message Loss: Reliable delivery during network interruptions
Health Monitoring & Performance
- Built-in Ping/Pong: 30-second heartbeat
- Latency Tracking: Real-time latency metrics
- Connection Statistics: Uptime, message counts, errors
- Health Check System: Comprehensive health reporting
High-Performance Architecture
- Epoll-based I/O: Scalable event-driven networking (Linux)
- 1000+ Concurrent Clients: Massive scalability
- Non-blocking Sockets: No server blocking on slow clients
- Efficient Broadcasting: Optimized message distribution
Robust Error Handling
- Comprehensive Error Codes: Detailed error classification
- Protocol Validation: Strict message format checks
- Graceful Degradation: Continues operation despite client failures
AI Agent Integration
- Specialized Agent Commands: Dedicated message types for AI
- Agent Command Broadcasting: Efficient multi-agent coordination
- Agent Communication Protocol: Built-in agent-to-agent messaging
๐ Message Types
| Type |
Code |
Description |
| MSG_REGISTER |
0x01 |
Client registration with username |
| MSG_MESSAGE |
0x02 |
Standard chat message |
| MSG_AGENT_COMMAND |
0x03 |
AI agent command |
| MSG_PONG |
0x04 |
Heartbeat response |
| MSG_HEALTH_CHECK |
0x05 |
Health status request |
| MSG_SYSTEM |
0x10 |
System notification |
| MSG_BROADCAST_MESSAGE |
0x11 |
Broadcast chat message |
| MSG_BROADCAST_AGENT |
0x12 |
Broadcast agent command |
| MSG_IMAGE |
0x13 |
Image message |
| MSG_PING |
0x14 |
Heartbeat request |
| MSG_ERROR |
0x15 |
Error message |
| MSG_HEALTH_RESULT |
0x16 |
Health status response |
๏ฟฝ Protocol Specification
Message Header Format (7 bytes)
[Version:1][Flags:1][Sequence:2][Length:2][Type:1][Payload:N]
- Version: Protocol version (0x01)
- Flags: Connection flags (TCP/UDP, compression, etc.)
- Sequence: Message sequence number
- Length: Payload length + 1 (includes type byte)
- Type: Message type identifier
- Payload: Variable-length message data
Error Codes
- ERR_USERNAME_TAKEN (0x0001): Username already in use
- ERR_INVALID_FORMAT (0x0002): Malformed message
- ERR_SESSION_EXPIRED (0x0003): Session timeout
- ERR_SERVER_ERROR (0x0004): Internal server error
๐๏ธ Architecture
Server Architecture
- Event-driven Design: Linux epoll for high concurrency
- Session Management: UUID tracking for clients
- Message Broadcasting: Efficient multi-client distribution
- Automatic Cleanup: Periodic removal of inactive sessions
- Resource Management: Proper memory cleanup
Client Architecture
- Protocol Compliance: Full protocol implementation
- Message Validation: Strict format checks
- Error Handling: Robust detection and reporting
- Connection Management: Handles lifecycle and reconnection
๐ Getting Started
Building the Server
cd build
gcc -o tundra_chat_server ../tundra_chat_server.c -luuid
Building the Client
cd build
gcc -o tundra_chat_client ../test_client.c
Running the Server
./tundra_chat_server
Server listens on port 4242.
Running the Client
./tundra_chat_client
๐ Usage Examples
Basic Client Connection
- Connect to server on port 4242
- Send MSG_REGISTER with username
- Receive welcome MSG_SYSTEM message
- Send MSG_MESSAGE for chat
- Receive MSG_BROADCAST_MESSAGE from other clients
AI Agent Commands
// Send agent command
send_message(sock, MSG_AGENT_COMMAND, seq, agent_payload, payload_len);
Health Monitoring
// Request health check
send_message(sock, MSG_HEALTH_CHECK, seq, NULL, 0);
// Receive MSG_HEALTH_RESULT with metrics
๐ Security Features
- Connection Validation: Strict protocol compliance
- Resource Limits: Max message sizes and client limits
- Session Security: UUID-based identification
- Input Sanitization: Comprehensive validation
๐ Performance Characteristics
- Concurrent Connections: 1000+ clients
- Message Throughput: High-performance processing
- Memory Efficiency: Optimized usage and cleanup
- Latency: Sub-millisecond processing
- Scalability: Horizontal scaling support
๐ ๏ธ Configuration
| Setting |
Default |
| PORT |
4242 |
| MAX_CLIENTS |
1000 |
| MAX_MESSAGE_SIZE |
65535 |
| SESSION_TIMEOUT |
120 sec |
| PING_INTERVAL |
30 sec |
| MAX_BUFFERED_MESSAGES |
50 |
Dependencies:
- Linux (epoll support)
- libuuid-dev
- Standard C libraries
๐ค Use Cases
- Real-time Chat Applications: High-performance chat servers, gaming, collaboration
- AI Agent Coordination: Multi-agent systems, distributed AI, agent command/control
- Enterprise Messaging: Internal comms, microservices, event-driven architectures
- IoT & Monitoring: Device communication, real-time monitoring, alerts
๐ Monitoring and Metrics
The server provides:
- Connection counts and status
- Message throughput and latency
- Error rates and types
- Session duration and activity
- Resource utilization
๐ง Development
Adding New Message Types
- Define new message type constant
- Implement handling in
process_message()
- Add payload validation
- Update client for new type
Extending Features
- Custom authentication
- Encryption/security layers
- Database integration
- Load balancing/clustering
๐ License
Tundra Chat Protocol is production-grade and enterprise-ready. See the license file for details.
Tundra Chat Protocol โ Where performance meets reliability in real-time communication.
Repository: https://github.com/ingen0s/tundra