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RPC, or Remote Procedure Call, is a communication protocol that allows a program on one computer to execute a function or procedure on another computer as if it were a local call. It is a core concept in distributed computing, enabling programs to request services from other programs across a network, making it easier to build distributed applications by abstracting away the complexities of network communication.

How it works: A client program calls a remote procedure, just like it would a local one. This call is intercepted and a message is sent over the network to the server. The server, which is waiting for requests, receives the message and executes the requested procedure. The result is sent back to the client in a response message. The client program receives the response and the original call returns as if it were a local function call.

Key features

Transparency: The programmer doesn't need to know the explicit details of the network communication, making development simpler. RPC handles data reformatting, such as byte ordering, and other differences between systems.

Distributed computing: RPC is essential for creating applications that span multiple machines, such as in microservices or service-oriented architectures.

Client-server model: RPC uses a client-server model, where the calling program is the client and the program that provides the service is the server.

Synchronous by default: A basic RPC is synchronous, meaning the client must wait for the server to complete the procedure and return the results before it can continue.