TheSecure Real-Time Media Flow Protocol (RTMFP) is aprotocol suite developed byAdobe Systems for encrypted, efficientmultimedia delivery through bothclient-server andpeer-to-peer models over theInternet. The protocol was originallyproprietary, but was later opened up and is now published asRFC 7016.[1]
RTMFP allows users of live, real‐time communications, such associal networking services and multi‐user games, to communicate directly with each other using their computer's microphone and webcam. RTMFP is apeer-to-peer system, but is only designed for direct end user to end user communication for real-time communication, not for file sharing between multiple peers using segmented downloading.[2] Facebook uses this protocol in its Pipe application[3]
RTMFP enables direct, live, real‐time communication for applications such as audio andvideo chat and multi‐player games. RTMFP flows data between the end‐userclients and not the server, bandwidth is not being used at the server. RTMFP uses theUser Datagram Protocol, (UDP) to send video and audio data over the Internet, so needs to handle missing, dropped, or out of order packets. RTMFP has two features that may help to mitigate the effects of connection errors.
Rapid Connection Restore: Connections are re‐established quickly after brief outages. For example, when awireless network connection experiences a dropout. After reconnection, the connection has full capabilities instantly.
IP Mobility: Active network peer sessions are maintained even if a client changes to a newIP address. For example, when a laptop on a wireless network is plugged into a wired connection and receives a new address.
The principal difference is how the protocols communicate over the network. RTMFP is based onUser Datagram Protocol (UDP),[1] whereasReal-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) is based onTransmission Control Protocol (TCP).UDP‐based protocols have some specific advantages over TCP‐based protocols when delivering livestreaming media, such as decreased latency and overhead, and greater tolerance for dropped or missing packets, at the cost of decreased reliability.Unlike RTMP, RTMFP also supports sending data directly from oneAdobe Flash Player to another,without going through a server. A server‐side connection will always be required to establish the initial connection between the end‐users and can be used to provide server‐side data execution or gateways into other systems. The user of aFlash Media Server will also be required to authorize network address lookup andNAT traversal services for the clients to prevent Flash Player from being used in an unmanaged way.
Flash Player 10.0 allowed only one-to-one communication for P2P, but from 10.1 application-levelmulticast is allowed. Flash Player finds appropriate distribution route (overlay network), and can distribute to the group, which is connected by P2P.
RTMFP's underlying protocols are the result of Adobe's acquisition ofAmicima in 2006; strong architectural similarities exist between RTMFP and Amicima'sGPL-licensedSecure Media Flow Protocol (MFP).
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