Build Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) - from scratch in C

System Programming Projects - Server Client RPC Model over a Network Sockets, Data Serialization - Windows/Linux.

What you'll learn

Shall be able to build Remote procedure Calls starting from #include <stdio.h>
Will understand the concept of Data Serialization and DeSerialization
Understand the concept of Application state Synchronization
Understand the concept of Application State Checkpointing
Will understand how to manipulate data objects as stream of bytes
Will be able to understand how to manipulate the objects Recursively
Will be able to extend and apply the concepts learned in other programming languages
Will understand the pre-requistes required for data transmission between heterogeneous machines

Requirements

C programming language - at-least an intermediate level
Minimal Socket programming to the extent to send and receive data is desirable but not mandatory
Linux OS, any flavor, - Running as Native or as a VM
Most Important tool - Enthusiasm and love for knowledge

Description

About This course is about Developing your own Remote procedure calls - I will use Linux OS for this course, however you can use Windows OS if you are used to it. The essence and real strength of this course is No use of any third party libraries. I follow this principle in all my other courses. Whatever you learn through my courses, you learn from absolute ground level. This course does not violate the principle and teaches you how to build Remote Procedure Calls step by step from absolute scratch - No framework, tools, supporting libraries or anything - just pure C.

This course actually lays the foundation of many future System Software Projects. Few of which are below and is a part of this course curriculum.

Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) is a technique to invoke the function/procedure which actually resides on different physical machine running somewhere else in the network - hence the name remote procedures. In this course, you will learn the concepts working behind the scenes. The same concepts can be extended to implement other system programming concepts, besides RPC, such as - Data Synchronization and Check-pointing the application state. This course promise to deliver the complete content on developing RPCs in its initial release.

Data Synchronization - It is a process to synchronize the complete application Heap state to remote machine. The remote machine will build the mirror heap state. In the event, the first machine fails, the remote machine can take over as it has all the state required to resume the operation of failed machine.

Check pointing - It is a process of saving the application Memory state to disk/file persistently, so that, the application can be restarted/resumed any time building the exact same Memory state from Memory snapshot stored earlier to secondary storage.

Check pointing shall be delivered in subsequent releases of this course.


Who should do this course ?

Beginners Please take this course at your discretion. You should be good with C pointers and how C objects are laid out in memory. I expect you to be at-least above beginner level in C programming. This means, that only very enthusiastic students who wants to get an edge over the smartest student in their college should enroll. Average students Pls excuse. Job seekers and professional developers Must enroll. The concepts you learn from this course is language agnostic and having learned them will enable you to implement the RPC/Data-Synch/Checkpointing in any programming language of your choice. If tomorrow you happen to work in Java, you shall be knowing how RPCs work at the lowest level of implementation.


Pre-requisite

C and being good at pointers is a pre-requiste of this course. A minimal socket programming back-ground is desirable but not mandatory. We designed this course starting from absolute basics and building the foundation of learners first before actually pulling the course at full throttle. If you are not good with pointers and memory manipulation in C, Pls enroll only after meeting the pre-requisite criteria.

Also, Please just do not sit and watch my codes. Write your own codes, even if it is same as mine !


Programming Language used In this course :

We have a strong reasons to choose C as a language for this course:

RPC is a technique which if knowing the concepts can be implemented in any programming language of your choice. Learning RPC using C helps you understand what is going on behind the scenes. C language really exposes the low level details about how system actually works. In System programming, C is the only language to be used and there is not even a remote substitute of this language when it comes to System programming.


No Third Party libraries

Whatever logic you implement, you need to implement it from scratch, beginning from #include <stdio.h>. This course do not suggest taking help of any third party library to get the jobs done. Use of external libraries completely defeats the purpose of the course. However, it is recommended to use third party libraries for commonly used data structures such as linked lists/Trees/Queues etc which saves a lot of time implementing these data structures.


Related Courses

RPC is one way of carrying out Inter Process Communication between two processes running on separate machines in the network. You may also want to check my another course in which Linux IPC techniques has been discussed.


Warning : This course has auto system-generated subtitles which may not be perfect. Please disable subtitles as per your convenience.


Curriculum

This Course is divided into two major parts -

1. Understanding the Concept of Serialization and DeSerialization in great detail

2. Using the Serialization and DeSerialization to actually solve/build system. This includes :

Building Remote Procedure Calls

State Synchronization

Check pointing the application state

Section 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are dedicated to build up the base on thoroughly mastering the concept of Serialization and DeSerialization.

Section 7, 8, 9 are dedicated to build and develop above stated systems


Section 1 - Get Started

Table Of Contents of the Entire Course

Linux Installation for Beginners

Section 2 - What is Serialization and Why we need it ?

Section 3 - Concept of Data Serialization and DeSerialization

Serializing and DeSerializing Simple C Structures

Serializing and DeSerializing Nested C Structures

Serializing and DeSerializing Pointer C Structures

Section 4 - STREAMS - A Data Structure

Design and Implementation

Section 5 - Data Serialization and DeSerialization Implementation in C

Serializing and DeSerializing Simple C Structures

Serializing and DeSerializing Nested C Structures

Serializing and DeSerializing Pointer C Structures

An Example

Section 6 - Serializing Generic Data structures

Use Function Pointers to Serialize void *

Section 7 - Implementing Remote procedure calls from Scratch

Understanding RPC Concept and Design

Developing Client Stubs - Marshalling of RPC Arguments

Developing Server Stubs - UnMarshalling of RPC Arguments

Developing Server Stubs - Marshalling of RPC Return Type

Developing Client Stubs - UnMarshalling of RPC Return Type

Concept of RPC Identity

RPC Use Cases

Section 8 - State Synchronization

Section 9 - Checkpointing (Coming Soon)


**Audit Trial **

30 Sept 2018 - Added Section 8 on State Synchronization

29 Sept 2018 - Added Section 6 on Serializing Generic Data structures


Who this course is for:

Students who want to distinguish themselves from the crowd
Professionals looking to advance their career Or switch jobs
those Who love Coding and build actual System softwares