Simplify frame header to message_type + payload_length (6 bytes)

Removes channel_id from the header. All message-specific identifiers
(stream_id, request_id, etc.) now live at the start of the payload,
interpreted by each message type handler. A relay seeing an unknown
type can skip or forward it using only payload_length, with no
knowledge of the payload structure.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
2026-03-26 22:00:43 +00:00
parent ff48559b12
commit 197ab7d5db
4 changed files with 30 additions and 27 deletions

View File

@@ -126,20 +126,23 @@ Header fields:
| Field | Size | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `message_type` | 2 bytes | Distinguishes video frame, control request, control response |
| `channel_id` | 2 bytes | For video: identifies the stream. For control: identifies the request/response pair (correlation ID) |
| `message_type` | 2 bytes | Determines how the payload is interpreted |
| `payload_length` | 4 bytes | Byte length of the following payload |
**Message types:**
The header is intentionally minimal. Any node — including a relay that does not recognise a message type — can skip or forward the frame by reading exactly `payload_length` bytes without needing to understand the payload. All message-specific identifiers (stream ID, correlation ID, etc.) live inside the payload and are handled by the relevant message type handler.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `0x0001` | Video frame |
| `0x0002` | Control request |
| `0x0003` | Control response |
| `0x0004` | Stream event |
**Message types and their payload structure:**
Video frame payloads are raw compressed frames. Control payloads are binary-serialized structures — see [Protocol Serialization](#protocol-serialization). Stream events carry lifecycle signals for a channel — see [Device Resilience](#device-resilience).
| Value | Type | Payload starts with |
|---|---|---|
| `0x0001` | Video frame | `stream_id` (u16), then compressed frame data |
| `0x0002` | Control request | `request_id` (u16), then command-specific fields |
| `0x0003` | Control response | `request_id` (u16), then result-specific fields |
| `0x0004` | Stream event | `stream_id` (u16), `event_code` (u8), then event-specific fields |
Node-level messages (not tied to any stream or request) have no prefix beyond the header — the payload begins with the message-specific fields directly.
Control payloads are binary-serialized structures — see [Protocol Serialization](#protocol-serialization). Stream events carry lifecycle signals — see [Device Resilience](#device-resilience).
### Unified Control and Video on One Connection

View File

@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ static void server_on_frame(struct Transport_Conn *conn,
{
(void)userdata;
printf("recv type=0x%04x channel=%u length=%u",
frame->message_type, frame->channel_id, frame->payload_length);
printf("recv type=0x%04x length=%u",
frame->message_type, frame->payload_length);
if (frame->payload_length > 0) {
uint32_t show = frame->payload_length < 8 ? frame->payload_length : 8;
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ static void server_on_frame(struct Transport_Conn *conn,
printf("\n");
struct App_Error err = transport_send_frame(conn,
frame->message_type, frame->channel_id,
frame->message_type,
frame->payload, frame->payload_length);
if (!APP_IS_OK(err)) {
@@ -90,8 +90,8 @@ static void client_on_frame(struct Transport_Conn *conn,
struct Transport_Frame *frame, void *userdata)
{
(void)conn; (void)userdata;
printf("echo type=0x%04x channel=%u length=%u\n",
frame->message_type, frame->channel_id, frame->payload_length);
printf("echo type=0x%04x length=%u\n",
frame->message_type, frame->payload_length);
free(frame->payload);
}
@@ -123,15 +123,15 @@ static void cmd_client(int argc, char **argv) {
printf("connected to %s:%u\n", host, port);
for (uint16_t i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
uint8_t payload[] = { 0xde, 0xad, 0xbe, 0xef, (uint8_t)i };
err = transport_send_frame(conn, 0x0001, i, payload, sizeof(payload));
err = transport_send_frame(conn, 0x0001, payload, sizeof(payload));
if (!APP_IS_OK(err)) {
fprintf(stderr, "send failed on frame %u (errno %d)\n",
fprintf(stderr, "send failed on frame %d (errno %d)\n",
i, err.detail.syscall.err_no);
break;
}
printf("sent type=0x0001 channel=%u length=5\n", i);
printf("sent type=0x0001 length=5\n");
}
sleep(1);

View File

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
#include <stdint.h>
#include "error.h"
#define TRANSPORT_FRAME_HEADER_SIZE 8u
#define TRANSPORT_FRAME_HEADER_SIZE 6u
#define TRANSPORT_DEFAULT_MAX_PAYLOAD (16u * 1024u * 1024u)
struct Transport_Conn;
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ struct Transport_Server;
* A received frame. payload is malloc'd by the transport layer;
* the on_frame callback takes ownership and must free it.
* payload is NULL when payload_length is 0.
*
* The header carries only message_type and payload_length.
* All message-specific fields (stream_id, request_id, etc.) are
* the first bytes of the payload, interpreted by the message handler.
*/
struct Transport_Frame {
uint16_t message_type;
uint16_t channel_id;
uint32_t payload_length;
uint8_t *payload;
};
@@ -77,7 +80,6 @@ struct App_Error transport_connect(struct Transport_Conn **out,
*/
struct App_Error transport_send_frame(struct Transport_Conn *conn,
uint16_t message_type,
uint16_t channel_id,
const uint8_t *payload,
uint32_t length);

View File

@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ static void *conn_read_thread_fn(void *arg) {
struct Transport_Frame frame;
frame.message_type = get_u16(header_buf, 0);
frame.channel_id = get_u16(header_buf, 2);
frame.payload_length = get_u32(header_buf, 4);
frame.payload_length = get_u32(header_buf, 2);
if (frame.payload_length > conn->max_payload) {
break;
@@ -287,13 +286,12 @@ struct App_Error transport_connect(struct Transport_Conn **out,
}
struct App_Error transport_send_frame(struct Transport_Conn *conn,
uint16_t message_type, uint16_t channel_id,
uint16_t message_type,
const uint8_t *payload, uint32_t length)
{
uint8_t header[TRANSPORT_FRAME_HEADER_SIZE];
put_u16(header, 0, message_type);
put_u16(header, 2, channel_id);
put_u32(header, 4, length);
put_u32(header, 2, length);
pthread_mutex_lock(&conn->write_mutex);
int ok = write_exact(conn->fd, header, TRANSPORT_FRAME_HEADER_SIZE);