serializationtransport

Serialization transport is a design concept in distributed systems that describes the separation and coordination of two concerns: how data is serialized into a transmittable form and how that data is transported between endpoints. In this view, a message is serialized into a byte stream using a chosen format, and the resulting payload is delivered by a transport layer such as HTTP, WebSocket, a message queue, or a remote procedure call framework. The transport layer handles addressing, delivery guarantees, and framing, while the serialization layer preserves structure and type information.

This separation provides flexibility: formats can be chosen for interoperability and efficiency (for example JSON for human readability, Protobuf for performance), while transports can be swapped to meet reliability or latency requirements without changing the payload. It also supports schema evolution, streaming, chunking, compression, and encryption as separate concerns.

Common serialization formats include JSON, XML, Protocol Buffers, MessagePack, and Avro. Common transports include HTTP(S), WebSocket, MQTT, AMQP, Kafka, and gRPC. Implementers often provide a serialization transport abstraction to decouple payload format from transport mechanics, enabling easier testing and version management.

Key design considerations include compatibility across versions, handling partial data and message boundaries, idempotency, security against deserialization attacks, and performance trade-offs between payload size and parsing cost. Applications include microservices communication, event-driven architectures, and remote procedure calls, where a serialization transport pattern helps organize data exchange and evolve interfaces over time.