Second Life Forums Archive - Is IM peer-to-peer?

Kidd Krasner

Registered User

Join date: 1 Jan 2007

Posts: 1,938

05-16-2007 12:57

I saw or heard the assertioni that IM is peer-to-peer, i.e your client talks directly to the other person's client, without going through Linden's machines (unlike chat).

Can anyone confirm or refute this?

If so, does it also apply to group IM? To friends conference IMs?

Thanks

Malachi Petunia

Gentle Miscreant

Join date: 21 Sep 2003

Posts: 3,414

05-16-2007 15:43

I can't say with authority what the client does now, but about a year ago, I was looking at packet traces to debug asset failures and there was definitely no extra IP connection established for IM.

Extrapolating from that, I would be surprised if that had changed as multi-way (group) chat has to have a central mux/demux to get the text to all parties. I also can see little reason that they'd bother to set up a new connection. The out-of-order IMs that have been reported under high load pretty much confirm my guesses.

_____________________

RobbyRacoon Olmstead

Red warrior is hungry!

Join date: 20 Sep 2006

Posts: 1,821

05-16-2007 16:16

When last I looked, considerably less than a year ago, IM was definitely not peer-to-peer. Like the previous poster, I doubt that there are sufficient reasons to change that.

_____________________

DoteDote Edison

Thinks Too Much

Join date: 6 Jun 2004

Posts: 790

05-16-2007 17:15

The confusion probably arose because you can lose connection with a sim/region within SL, while retaining your IM connection. My random guess is that one uses UDP, and the other TCP. So, you can have one and not the other. But I'm really clueless.

Kenn Nilsson

AeonVox

Join date: 24 May 2005

Posts: 897

05-16-2007 18:13

I've also heard that the IM structure is based on Jabber? This true?

_____________________

--AeonVox--

Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms chasing ghosts, eating magic pills, and listening to repetitive, addictive, electronic music.

Is IM peer-to-peer?
Kidd Krasner Registered User Join date: 1 Jan 2007 Posts: 1,938	05-16-2007 12:57 I saw or heard the assertioni that IM is peer-to-peer, i.e your client talks directly to the other person's client, without going through Linden's machines (unlike chat). Can anyone confirm or refute this? If so, does it also apply to group IM? To friends conference IMs? Thanks
Malachi Petunia Gentle Miscreant Join date: 21 Sep 2003 Posts: 3,414	05-16-2007 15:43 I can't say with authority what the client does now, but about a year ago, I was looking at packet traces to debug asset failures and there was definitely no extra IP connection established for IM. Extrapolating from that, I would be surprised if that had changed as multi-way (group) chat has to have a central mux/demux to get the text to all parties. I also can see little reason that they'd bother to set up a new connection. The out-of-order IMs that have been reported under high load pretty much confirm my guesses. _____________________
RobbyRacoon Olmstead Red warrior is hungry! Join date: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1,821	05-16-2007 16:16 When last I looked, considerably less than a year ago, IM was definitely not peer-to-peer. Like the previous poster, I doubt that there are sufficient reasons to change that. _____________________
DoteDote Edison Thinks Too Much Join date: 6 Jun 2004 Posts: 790	05-16-2007 17:15 The confusion probably arose because you can lose connection with a sim/region within SL, while retaining your IM connection. My random guess is that one uses UDP, and the other TCP. So, you can have one and not the other. But I'm really clueless.
Kenn Nilsson AeonVox Join date: 24 May 2005 Posts: 897	05-16-2007 18:13 I've also heard that the IM structure is based on Jabber? This true? _____________________ --AeonVox-- Computer games don't affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms chasing ghosts, eating magic pills, and listening to repetitive, addictive, electronic music.

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Is IM peer-to-peer?