Understanding gRPC Fundamentals

1. Understanding gRPC Architecture

gRPC is a high-performance, open-source RPC framework built on HTTP/2 using Protocol Buffers as the interface definition language and on-the-wire format. A client invokes methods on a generated stub as if they were local; the framework handles serialization, network transport, multiplexing, and deserialization.

Client App                              Server App
   │                                       │
[Stub] ─proto─► [Marshal] ─HTTP/2─► [Unmarshal] ─► [Service Impl]
   ▲                                                     │
   └────────── response stream ◄────────── [Marshal] ◄───┘
      

2. Understanding HTTP/2 Benefits

3. Comparing gRPC vs REST

4. Understanding Protocol Buffers

5. Understanding RPC Communication Patterns

6. Understanding gRPC Service Definition

syntax = "proto3";
package user.v1;
option go_package = "example.com/api/user/v1;userv1";

service UserService {
  rpc GetUser(GetUserRequest) returns (User);
  rpc ListUsers(ListUsersRequest) returns (stream User);
}

message GetUserRequest { string id = 1; }
message User { string id = 1; string email = 2; }
message ListUsersRequest { int32 page_size = 1; }

7. Understanding Wire Format

8. Understanding Channel Abstraction

9. Understanding Stub Generation

10. Understanding gRPC Ecosystem