ipc-communication-patterns

The best way to choose an inter-process communication mechanism is to map latency, throughput, and topology constraints to options like shared memory or Unix domain sockets. Decision trees guide selection for same-machine agent coordination.

Decide between Unix domain sockets and shared memory by comparing latency thresholds and message framing needs. Shared memory offers higher throughput for large payloads, while Unix domain sockets provide simpler bidirectional messaging and failure detection.

You need gRPC or WebSockets for cross-machine process communication when coordinating unrelated processes across networks. gRPC suits structured RPC streaming, while WebSockets handle browser client scenarios requiring persistent bidirectional messaging.

Fix pipe deadlocks and socket permission errors by applying proper message framing strategies and checking process permissions. Diagnostics address connection refusal cascades and signal race conditions to ensure reliable parent-child process communication.

Yes, this IPC selection guidance supports failure detection and recovery for multi-agent orchestration. It provides production readiness checklists, shutdown checks, and failure mode diagnostics to handle shared memory corruption and connection issues.