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Diameter
Reference Manual
Version 1.3

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# diameter_transport

### MODULE

diameter_transport

### MODULE SUMMARY

Diameter transport interface.

### DESCRIPTION

A module specified as a transport_module to diameter:add_transport/2 must implement the interface documented here. The interface consists of a function with which diameter starts a transport process and a message interface with which the transport process communicates with the process that starts it (aka its parent).

### DATA TYPES

message() = binary() | diameter_codec:packet()

  A Diameter message as passed over the transport interface.

  For an inbound message from a transport process, a diameter_codec:packet() must contain the received message in its bin field. In the case of an inbound request, any value set in the transport_data field will passed back to the transport module in the corresponding answer message, unless the sender supplies another value.

  For an outbound message to a transport process, a diameter_codec:packet() has a value other than undefined in its transport_data field and has the binary() to send in its bin field.

### EXPORTS

Mod:start({Type, Ref}, Svc, Config) -> {ok, Pid} | {ok, Pid, LAddrs} | {error, Reason}

Types:

Type = connect | accept
Ref = diameter:transport_ref()
Svc = #diameter_service{}
Config = term()
Pid = pid()
LAddrs = [inet:ip_address()]
Reason = term()

Start a transport process. Called by diameter as a consequence of a call to diameter:add_transport/2 in order to establish or accept a transport connection respectively. A transport process maintains a connection with a single remote peer.

Type indicates whether the transport process in question is being started for a connecting (Type=connect) or listening (Type=accept) transport. In the latter case, transport processes are started as required to accept connections from multiple peers.

Ref is the value that was returned from the call to diameter:add_transport/2 that has lead to starting of a transport process.

Svc contains the capabilities passed to diameter:start_service/2 and diameter:add_transport/2, values passed to the latter overriding those passed to the former.

Config is as passed in transport_config tuple in the diameter:transport_opt() list passed to diameter:add_transport/2.

The start function should use the Host-IP-Address list and/or Config to select an appropriate list of local IP addresses, and should return this list if different from the #diameter_service{} addresses. The returned list is used to populate Host-IP-Address AVPs in outgoing capabilities exchange messages, the #diameter_service{} addresses being used otherwise.

A transport process must implement the message interface documented below. It should retain the pid of its parent, monitor the parent and terminate if it dies. It should not link to the parent. It should exit if its transport connection with its peer is lost.

### MESSAGES

All messages sent over the transport interface are of the form {diameter, term()}.

A transport process can expect messages of the following types from its parent.

{diameter, {send, message()}}

  An outbound Diameter message.

{diameter, {close, Pid}}

  A request to terminate the transport process after having received DPA in response to DPR. The transport process should exit. Pid is the pid() of the parent process.

{diameter, {tls, Ref, Type, Bool}}

  Indication of whether or not capabilities exchange has selected inband security using TLS. Ref is a reference() that must be included in the {diameter, {tls, Ref}} reply message to the transport's parent process (see below). Type is either connect or accept depending on whether the process has been started for a connecting or listening transport respectively. Bool is a boolean() indicating whether or not the transport connection should be upgraded to TLS.

  If TLS is requested (Bool=true) then a connecting process should initiate a TLS handshake with the peer and an accepting process should prepare to accept a handshake. A successful handshake should be followed by a {diameter, {tls, Ref}} message to the parent process. A failed handshake should cause the process to exit.

  This message is only sent to a transport process over whose Inband-Security-Id configuration has indicated support for TLS.

A transport process should send messages of the following types to its parent.

{diameter, {self(), connected}}

  Inform the parent that the transport process with Type=accept has established a connection with the peer. Not sent if the transport process has Type=connect.

{diameter, {self(), connected, Remote}}

  Inform the parent that the transport process with Type=connect has established a connection with a peer. Not sent if the transport process has Type=accept. Remote is an arbitrary term that uniquely identifies the remote endpoint to which the transport has connected.

{diameter, {recv, message()}}

  An inbound Diameter message.

{diameter, {tls, Ref}}

  Acknowledgment of a successful TLS handshake. Ref is the reference() received in the {diameter, {tls, Ref, Type, Bool}} message in response to which the reply is sent. A transport must exit if a handshake is not successful.

### SEE ALSO

diameter_tcp(3), diameter_sctp(3)