Google’s mechanism for data serialization, Protocol Buffers language neutral. There are three versions of the protocols: proto2, proto3.

Proto

Proto is the abbreviation of the file but also is the name of the protocol.

Message

Defining a (using .proto file)

message SearchRequest { <-- similar to python:: define message `SearchRequest`
  required string query = 1;
  optional int32 page_number = 2;
  optional int32 result_per_page = 3;
}

Advantages

> Fast ~ binary

> Lightweight ~ binary 😀

> Language independent (if you are prototyping in python and implementing in java)

Benchmarks

An example of Protobuf tutorial, given by Ten Loh, where he does a comparison of JSON parsing and Protobufs.

Protostream

On Infinispan/Data Grid, to develop custom Protostream as default serialization mechanism, this replaces the JBoss Framework.

For customization, there are two possibilities on DG:

1. Generate one given that the serializable classes have the proper annotation (@ProtoField and/or @ProtoFactory). To automatically generate it, one relies Data Grid `protostream-processor` (after adding the proper annotations) that on compile time generate the .proto file.

2. OR you manually  implement a proto message buffer