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WebSocket

The WebSocket input component consumes messages from WebSocket connections. It supports both server and client modes for real-time bidirectional communication.

Configuration​

url​

WebSocket server URL (for client mode) or bind address (for server mode).

type: string

optional: false

mode​

Operation mode.

Supported values:

  • server: Act as WebSocket server, listen for incoming connections
  • client: Act as WebSocket client, connect to a WebSocket server

type: string

default: "client"

optional: true

path (server mode)​

URL path to accept connections on (server mode only).

type: string

default: "/"

optional: true

host (server mode)​

Host address to bind to (server mode only).

type: string

default: "0.0.0.0"

optional: true

headers (optional)​

Additional headers to include in the WebSocket handshake.

type: object

default: {}

optional: true

Examples​

WebSocket Server​

- input:
    type: "websocket"
    mode: "server"
    host: "0.0.0.0"
    port: 8080
    path: "/ws"

WebSocket Client​

- input:
    type: "websocket"
    mode: "client"
    url: "ws://localhost:8080/ws"

Secure WebSocket (WSS)​

- input:
    type: "websocket"
    mode: "client"
    url: "wss://secure.example.com/ws"
    headers:
      Authorization: "Bearer ${TOKEN}"

WebSocket Server with Custom Path​

- input:
    type: "websocket"
    mode: "server"
    host: "127.0.0.1"
    port: 9000
    path: "/stream"

Features​

  • Bidirectional Communication: Support for both server and client modes
  • Real-time Data: Low-latency message delivery
  • Message Metadata: Automatic extraction of metadata including:
    • __meta_source: WebSocket endpoint identifier
    • __meta_ingest_time: Message reception timestamp
  • Multiple Connections: Server mode can handle multiple concurrent connections

Use Cases​

  • Real-time Analytics: Stream live analytics data
  • Chat Applications: Process chat messages in real-time
  • IoT Data: Collect sensor data from IoT devices
  • Live Monitoring: Monitor system events and metrics
  • Event Streaming: Process live event streams

Message Format​

Messages received via WebSocket are expected to be in a format compatible with the configured codec. For example, with JSON codec:

{
  "sensor_id": "temp_001",
  "temperature": 23.5,
  "timestamp": 1625000000000
}