Channel Pairs

What Are Channel Pairs?

Channel pairs are the core concept in ioBufferPro. Each channel pair connects a Source (where messages come from) to a Destination (where messages go). Every channel pair operates independently with its own dedicated buffer queue, ensuring that one channel's activity never impacts another.

Think of a channel pair as a dedicated, reliable pipeline: data flows in from the source, gets safely buffered, and is delivered to the destination — even if the destination is temporarily unavailable.

Creating a Channel Pair

Setting up a new channel pair takes just a few steps:

1. Navigate to the Channels page in the Operations Portal
2. Click Create Channel Pair
3. Configure the Source type and its settings (e.g., TCP Server on port 5000)
4. Configure the Destination type and its settings (e.g., TCP Client connecting to a remote host)
5. Give the channel pair a descriptive name
6. Click Create

TIP

The channel starts automatically after creation. You do not need to manually start it.

Managing Channels

Start / Stop

Use the play/pause button on the Channels page to start or stop any channel pair. Stopping a channel pauses message processing — buffered messages are preserved and will resume delivery when the channel is restarted.

Edit

1. Click the channel pair you want to modify
2. Click Edit
3. Update the source, destination, or general settings as needed
4. Click Save

INFO

The channel automatically restarts after saving changes to apply the new configuration.

Delete

1. Click the channel pair you want to remove
2. Click Delete
3. Confirm the deletion

WARNING

Deleting a channel pair removes its configuration and any buffered messages. This action cannot be undone.

Channel Behavior

Each channel pair is designed for maximum reliability:

• Independent message buffer — Every channel pair has its own buffer queue, completely isolated from other channels.
• Disk persistence — Messages are written to disk, so they survive application restarts and unexpected crashes.
• Auto-restore on startup — When ioBufferPro restarts, all channel pairs are automatically restored to their previous state and resume processing.
• Automatic retry with exponential backoff — If a delivery fails, ioBufferPro retries with increasing wait times to avoid overwhelming the destination.

Status Indicators

The Channels page shows real-time status for each channel pair across three categories:

Connection Status

Color	Meaning
Green	Connected and healthy
Yellow	Connecting or reconnecting
Red	Disconnected or error
White	Stopped or inactive

Buffer Status

Status	Meaning
Active	Buffer is actively processing messages
Stale	Buffer has not received new messages recently
Waiting	Buffer is waiting for the destination to become available
Queued	Messages are queued and ready for delivery

Message Status

Status	Meaning
Received	Message has been received from the source
Sent	Message has been successfully delivered to the destination
Failed	Message delivery failed (will be retried automatically)