Real-Time Communications (RTC)

What is the Real-Time Communications (RTC)?

 Real-Time Communications (RTC) refers to the ability to
communicate and exchange information in real time over the
internet. RTC includes technologies and protocols that enable
synchronous communication of audio, video, and other types of
data between devices.
 RTC technologies are used in a wide range of applications,
including voice and video calls, video conferencing, instant
messaging, and live streaming.
 RTC relies on a combination of protocols and technologies,
including Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) and Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP), to establish and maintain real-time
communication sessions between devices.
 The Evolution Of Real-Time Communications
 Real-time communications (RTC) has evolved significantly over
the past several decades, with the development of new
technologies and protocols that enable synchronous
communication of audio, video, and other types of data over the
internet.
 Early RTC systems used dedicated hardware and proprietary
protocols, such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network)
and H.323, to enable real-time communication. These systems
were expensive and required specialized equipment, which
limited their use to large organizations and institutions.
 Protocols such as Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) and
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) have enabled the development
of software-based RTC applications that can run on a wide range
of devices, including smartphones, laptops, and desktop
computers.
 The Evolution Of Real-Time Communications
 In recent years, the rise of cloud-based RTC platforms and the
development of new technologies, such as Web RTC (Web Real-
Time Communications), have made it easier than ever to
incorporate RTC into web and mobile applications.
 RTC has also become an important part of many social and
business interactions, with the widespread use of applications
such as Zoom, Skype, and Face Time.
 Overall, the evolution of RTC has enabled new forms of
communication and collaboration and has transformed the way
we communicate and interact with each other.
 The Importance of Real-Time Communications
Some of the key benefits of RTC include −
Immediacy − RTC allows for immediate communication and

interaction, which can be particularly important in situations where

quick response is required, such as emergency situations or customer
service inquiries.
Collaboration − RTC enables multiple parties to collaborate in real

time, which can be useful in a wide range of applications, such as

video conferencing, team meetings, and online education.
Flexibility − RTC allows for communication from anywhere, at any

time, which can be useful for people who are on the go or who work
remotely.
Personalization − RTC allows for more personalized

communication, as it enables face-to-face interaction and the

exchange of nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and gestures.
 The Importance of Real-Time Communications
 Overall, RTC is an important part of the modern communication
landscape and has transformed the way we communicate and
interact with each other.
 Async. vs Sync. Communication
 Asynchronous Communication (flex-time or doesn't need
scheduling)
 Email, mailing list, newsgroup, blogging, forum, etc

 Synchronous Communication (real-time)

 IM, VoIP, etc

 IM
 Instant Messaging
 Real-time text communication between 2 or more parties

 AKA(also known as)chat programs

 “IM” has become a verb
 “Please IM me.”
IM
 IM - Examples
 talk, ntalk, ytalk on Unix
 IRC
 ICQ
 AIM
 Yahoo! Messenger
 MSN Messenger
 Google Talk
 Jabber
 Same time
 Gaim
IM - talk, ntalk, ytalk
 Real-Time Communications Examples
Here are some examples of real-time communication (RTC)
applications −
Voice and video calls − Applications such as Skype, Zoom, and Face

Time enable users to make voice and video calls over the internet in
real time. These applications allow users to see and hear each other in
real time, making them an effective alternative to traditional phone
calls.
Video conferencing − Applications such as Zoom, Skype, and Google

Meet enable users to participate in video conferences with multiple

participants. These applications allow users to share their screens,
collaborate on documents, and interact with each other in real time.
Instant messaging − Applications such as Slack, Microsoft Teams,

and What's App enable users to send and receive messages in real time.
These applications also allow for the exchange of media, such as
photos and videos, in real time.
 Real-Time Communications Examples
 Live streaming − Applications such as YouTube Live and
Facebook Live enable users to stream video in real time over the
internet. These applications allow users to interact with each
other and with the streamer in real time through comments and
other forms of feedback.
 Overall, RTC applications enable users to communicate and
interact with each other in real time, regardless of their location.
These applications have become an important part of the modern
communication landscape and are used in a wide range of
contexts, including social and business interactions.
 Real-Time Communications Vendors And Products
There are many vendors and products that offer real-time
communication (RTC) capabilities. Here are a few examples −
Zoom − Zoom is a popular RTC platform that offers video

conferencing, webinars, and messaging capabilities. It is used by

businesses, educational institutions, and other organizations for
remote meetings and collaboration.
Skype − Skype is a well-known RTC platform that offers voice

and video calling, instant messaging, and screen sharing

capabilities. It is used by individuals and businesses for
communication and collaboration.
Microsoft Teams − Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform

that includes RTC capabilities, such as voice and video calls, instant
messaging, and screen sharing. It is used by businesses and other
organizations for communication and collaboration.
 Real-Time Communications Vendors And Products
 Slack − Slack is a collaboration platform that includes RTC
capabilities, such as voice and video calls and instant messaging.
It is used by businesses and other organizations for
communication and collaboration.
 Google Meet − Google Meet is a video conferencing platform
that is part of the Google Workspace suite of tools. It offers
voice and video calling, screen sharing, and other RTC
capabilities.
 Overall, there are many RTC vendors and products available,
each with its own set of features and capabilities. Some of these
vendors and products are targeted at specific markets, such as
businesses or educational institutions, while others are more
general-purpose.
 Real time communication
 A real-time communication system (RTCS) is the backbone of
distributed control applications.
 To support the timely completion of distributed real-time

activities, RTCS must ensure bounded delivery delay for real-

time messages.
 Real Time systems are the system whose execution depends not

only on the logical validity of data but also on its timeliness.

 A correct real time system will guarantee the successful

operation of a system.
Goals for Real-time Communication Techniques
 All the methods of real-time communication aim to provide real-

time message delivery with either low or zero loss rates (soft or
hard real-time, respectively).
 What is Real-time Communication in LAN?
 A real-time system means the system is subjected to real-time
that means the response should be guaranteed within a specified
timing constraint or system should meet the specified deadline.
For example − Flight control system, real-time monitors etc.
Features of Real-time System
 Reliability − The system can operate for a long time without any

interfere of the human

 Manageability − In a real-time system the cost of

implementation is to be reduced.
 Performance − The system should be designed for the purpose

of working easier and the workload should be reduced.

 Predictability − Within the given time, the actions should be

taken and the result to be produced by the system.

 What is the Real-Time Monitoring of IoT Devices?
We use IOT devices in our daily lives. But can we monitor the IoT
devices in real time? Yes, it is now possible.
The real-time monitoring of IOT devices with data analytics

guidance automatically provides the services necessary for

collecting, analysing, and processing activity data in real-time.
This guidance is drawn to deliver a framework for visualizing and

analysing metrics. It also allows you to add new metrics rather than
managing the underlying infrastructure.
Thus, IOT monitoring is evaluating, discovering, managing, and

monitoring the devices connected to the internet. It permits the real-

time overseeing and data gathering of the interconnected device’
performances, functionalities, and troubleshooting.
 What is the Real-Time Monitoring of IoT Devices?
Architecture for Remote Monitoring of IoT Devices
Amazon Dynamo DB stores device information and simulation.

Amazon ECS tass runs on AWS Far gate for sending messages and

stimulating devices.
Simulators forward sensor data to AWS(Amazon web services) IoT

Core.
A preconfigured IoT rule subscribes to the sensor data topic and

forwards the data to AWS IoT Analytics.

Amazon Quick Sight drags data from AWS IoT Analytics materialized

views to display visualizations and dashboards.

A preconfigured IoT rule subscribes to the sensor data topic and

forwards the data to AWS IoT Events to detect whether the sensor is in an
error state.
On detecting an error state, AWS IoT events solicit an email notification

to the subscribers through the Amazon Simple notification service.

 Types of Communication in IoT
 The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology that has transformed
the way we live and work. It is a network of interconnected
devices that exchange data and perform various tasks with one
another.
 In IoT communication refers to the exchange of information and
data between various devices, systems, and networks.
 Internet of Things devices, such as actuators, sensors, and other
smart devices, rely on communication to interact with one
another and external systems, such as cloud-based platforms and
mobile apps.
 Communication is an important aspect of IoT because it allows
devices to collaborate to achieve common goals.
 Types of Communication in IoT
 For example, Sensors in an IoT system, might collect data on
environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, and light
levels and send it to a cloud platform for storage and analysis.
The platform may then share that data with other IoT devices,
such as a smart thermostat or lighting system, allowing them to
make adjustments to the environment based on the data.
 At its core, IoT is a system of interconnected devices that
communicate with each other to exchange data and perform
various tasks. However, not all IoT communications are the
same.
 Types of Communication in IoT
In IoT, several types of communications occur, including −
Device-to-Device Communication

The most common type of communication in IoT is device-to-

device. This type of communication takes place between two or

more Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as a smart thermostat
that's communicating with a smart lighting system to adjust the
lighting and temperature in a room. The devices communicate with
one another to coordinate their actions in response to environmental
factors like temperature and light levels.
This type of communication is important in the IoTs because it

enables devices to collaborate to achieve common goals. A smart

home system, for example, may include several devices such as a
thermostat, a lighting system, and a safety system. These devices
have to interact with each other in order to keep the home safe,
comfortable, and secure.
 Types of Communication in IoT
 Device-to-Cloud Communication
 Device-to-cloud communication is another crucial type of
communication in IoT. This type of communication occurs
between an IoT device and a cloud-based platform, in which the
device sends data to the cloud for storage and analysis.
 A smart home security camera, for example, sends video to a
cloud-based platform for remote viewing and storage.
 This type of communication is critical in IoT because it allows
devices to store and analyse data in the cloud, which can be
accessed from anywhere in the world. This allows users to
remotely monitor and control their IoT devices even when they
are away from home.
 Types of Communication in IoT
 Cloud-to-Device Communication
 Cloud-to-device communication is the inverse of device-to-cloud
communication.
 This kind of communication takes place when a cloud-based
platform sends data or commands to an IoT device. A weather
tracking platform, for example, may send commands to a smart
irrigation system to adjust watering schedules based on
upcoming weather conditions.
 This type of communication is important in IoT because it allows
users to control their IoT devices from anywhere in the world.
This can be useful in scenarios where users need to make
changes to their IoT devices in response to changing conditions
or events.
 Types of Communication in IoT
 Peer-to-Peer Communication
 Another form of communication in IoT is peer-to-peer
communication.
 This type of communication takes place between IoT devices
without the use of a cloud platform. This is useful in situations
where cloud-based communication is not possible or desirable,
such as in remote or secure locations.
 A group of IoT devices, for example, may communicate with one
another in a peer-to-peer network to share data and coordinate
their actions.
 This is useful in manufacturing, where machines must
communicate with one another to optimize production processes.
 Types of Communication in IoT
 Machine-to-Machine Communication
 Machine-to-machine communication is one type of IoT
communication.
 This type of communication takes place between machines
without the need for human intervention. Communication
between IoT devices and non-IoT machines, such as a
manufacturing robot communicating with a conveyor belt system
to optimize production processes, is one example.
 This type of communication is critical in IoT because it enables
machines to collaborate to achieve common goals without the
need for human intervention.
 This is useful in situations where human intervention is neither
practical nor desirable, such as manufacturing or logistics.
 Types of Communication in IoT
Finally, the various types of communications in IoT each serve a
distinct purpose and have their applications.
The most common type of communication in IoT is device-to-

device communication, which allows devices to collaborate to

achieve common goals.
Device-to-cloud communication is critical in IoT because it allows

devices to store and analyse data in the cloud, which is accessible

from anywhere in the world.
Cloud-to-device communication is critical for IoT device remote

control.
Peer-to-peer communication is useful when cloud-based

communication is impractical or undesirable, and machine-to-

machine communication is essential when human intervention is
impractical or undesirable.
 Benefits of IoT platform monitoring
Forward Notification
Remote monitoring of IoT devices absorbs real-time device data

from IoT devices to access each device's state and forward

notifications if there are any out-of-range data or data transmission
issues.
Automatic Alerts
Remote monitoring of IoT devices utilizes AWS IoT events to

gather, analyze, and detect faults and suboptimal performance to

produce real-time events. These events are used for maintenance
requests for that device and invoke actions to automate diagnostics
and automatic alerts.
Control the Health of your Assets
Remote monitoring of IoT devices delivers a framework for

gathering diagnostic information for deriving outcome-oriented

insight about your assets and health.
Below is the list of the seven IoT monitoring tools −
Sky Spark: A software analytics platform that automatically

analyses system-level building data and provides building insights.

AWS IoT Devices management

Senseye PdM : The predictive maintenance platform designed

specifically to support your journey to getting maximum ROI

(Return on investment)from Industry 4.0.
Splunk Industrial for IoT: an application that you can use to

monitor asset health, alert on metric anomalies, create custom

metrics, perform root cause
Data dog IoT monitoring: The ability to create monitors

that actively check metrics, integration availability, network

endpoints, and more.
Domotz EDITOR’S CHOICE: A network monitoring software

designed for IT professionals.

 Communications Protocols
 These are the messaging protocols that allow users to communicate both
asynchronously (sender and receiver aren't required to both be connected
to the Internet at the same time; e.g. email) and synchronously (as with
chatting in "real time").
 Email
This method of Internet communication has become the standard. A
main computer acts as a "post office" by sending and receiving mail for
those who have accounts.
 This mail can be retrieved through any number of email software
applications (MS Outlook, Eudora, etc.) or from Web based email
accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail). Email is an example of asynchronous
Internet communication.
 Email also provides the ability to access email lists. You can subscribe to
an email list covering any number of topics or interests and will receive
messages posted by other subscribers. Email communities evolve from
interaction between subscribers who have similar interests or obsessions.
 Communications Protocols
 Usenet
Usenet is something like a bulletin board or an email list without the
subscription. Anyone can post a message to or browse through a Usenet
newsgroup.
 Usenet messages are retained on the serving computer only for a
predetermined length of time and then are automatically deleted,
whereas email list messages are retained on the serving computer until
the account holder downloads them.
 Many email applications, as well as Web browsers, allow you to set up
Usenet newsgroup accounts.
 IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
This protocol allows for synchronous communication: users on different
computers anywhere in the world can communicate in "real time" or
simultaneously. You can instantly see a response to a typed message by
several people at the same time. This protocol requires a special software
application that can be downloaded from the Web, generally for free.
 Communications Protocols
Traffic Policing
Traffic policing is basically a mechanism which monitors the traffic in

any network by using an action to packets that conform to a specified

rate. The policies in the network keeps a check on the number of tokens
in the bucket.
In traffic policing one token usually represents one byte of traffic. It can

be used to control inbound and outbound traffic.

It also maintains control over the excess traffic.

Traffic Shaping
Traffic shaping is basically a congestion control mechanism that delays

some packets to bring them at par with other traffic components.

It increases the latency and the bandwidth of packets. It makes traffic

conform to a certain rate by giving the packets some delay. Traffic

shaping can be used to control outbound traffic only. It also does
queuing of packets.
 Communications Protocols

S.NO. Traffic Policing Traffic Shaping

Traffic policing is a mechanism Traffic Shaping is a congestion

1. which monitors the traffic in control mechanism that brings
any network. delays in packets.

The packets with rates that are It buffers the packets with rates
2. greater than the traffic policing that are greater than the traffic
rate are discarded. shaping rate.

Traffic policing doesn’t cause Traffic shaping causes delay of

3.
delay. packets.

The token values are calculated The token values are calculated
4.
in bytes per second. in bits per second.

In traffic policing queuing of Queuing of traffic is not

5.
traffic is not performed. performed in traffic shaping.

Traffic policing supports traffic

6. Traffic shaping doesn’t
remarking.

Traffic policing can be used to

Traffic policing can used to
7. control outbound or inbound
control outbound traffic only.
traffic.
 What is Inter process Communication?
 Inter process communication is the mechanism provided by the
operating system that allows processes to communicate with
each other.
 This communication could involve a process letting another
process know that some event has occurred or the transferring of
data from one process to another.
 A diagram that illustrates inter process communication is as
follows −
 Cont.…
Synchronization in Inter process Communication
Synchronization is a necessary part of inter process

communication.
It is either provided by the inter process control mechanism or

handled by the communicating processes. Some of the methods to

provide synchronization are as follows −
Semaphore
 A semaphore is a variable that controls the access to a common

resource by multiple processes. The two types of semaphores are

binary semaphores and counting semaphores.
Mutual Exclusion
 A mutual exclusion requires that only one process thread can

enter the critical section at a time. This is useful for synchronization

and also prevents race conditions.
 Cont…
Barrier
A barrier does not allow individual processes to proceed until all

the processes reach it.

Many parallel languages and collective routines impose barriers.

Spinlock
This is a type of lock. The processes trying to acquire this lock

wait in a loop while checking if the lock is available or not.

This is known as busy waiting because the process is not doing

any useful operation even though it is active.

 Cont.
Approaches to Inter process Communication
Pipe
A pipe is a data channel that is unidirectional. Two pipes can be

used to create a two-way data channel between two processes. This

uses standard input and output methods.
Pipes are used in all POSIX systems as well as Windows operating

systems.
Socket
The socket is the endpoint for sending or receiving data in a

network. This is true for data sent between processes on the same
computer or data sent between different computers on the same
network.
 Most of the operating systems use sockets for inter process

communication.
 Cont.
File
A file is a data record that may be stored on a disk or acquired on

demand by a file server.

Multiple processes can access a file as required.

All operating systems use files for data storage.

Signal
Signals are useful in inter process communication in a limited

way. They are system messages that are sent from one process to
another.
Normally, signals are not used to transfer data but are used for

remote commands between processes.

 Cont.
Shared Memory
Shared memory is the memory that can be simultaneously

accessed by multiple processes.

This is done so that the processes can communicate with each

other.
All POSIX systems, as well as Windows operating systems use

shared memory.
Message Queue
Multiple processes can read and write data to the message queue

without being connected to each other.

 Messages are stored in the queue until their recipient retrieves

them.
Message queues are quite useful for inter process communication

and are used by most operating systems.

 Cont.
 A diagram that demonstrates message queue and shared memory
methods of interprocess communication is as follows −