What is WuKongIM?
WuKongIM is a high-performance distributed instant messaging service that supports various communication scenarios including chat applications, message push, IoT communication, audio/video signaling, live streaming, customer service systems, AI communication, and instant communities.Core Philosophy
As simple as Redis, as high-performance as Kafka, as reliable as MySQL WuKongIM is designed with three core principles:- Simplicity: Easy to deploy and manage with zero dependencies
- Performance: High throughput and low latency for real-time communication
- Reliability: Distributed architecture with automatic failover and data consistency
Key Features
🎯 Unique Capabilities
- Unlimited Group Members: Support for 100,000+ member group chats
- Permanent Message Storage: Messages are stored permanently with efficient retrieval
- Custom Binary Protocol: Optimized for minimal bandwidth usage
📱 Low Resource Consumption
- Efficient Protocol: 1-byte heartbeat packets save bandwidth and battery
- Optimized Storage: Custom storage engine designed specifically for IM workloads
- Smart Caching: Intelligent message caching for optimal performance
🔐 Security First
- End-to-End Encryption: Message channels and content are fully encrypted
- Attack Prevention: Protection against man-in-the-middle attacks and message tampering
- Data Backup: Real-time server data backup ensures no data loss
🚀 High Performance
- Custom Storage: Built on PebbleDB with IM-specific optimizations
- Distributed Database: Purpose-built distributed database eliminates generic database overhead
- Fast Storage = Fast Messages: Optimized storage layer enables high-speed message delivery
🔥 High Availability
- Modified Raft Protocol: Custom distributed consensus for automatic disaster recovery
- Zero Downtime: Automatic failover when nodes go down, transparent to users
- Decentralized: No single point of failure, all nodes are independent and equal
- Easy Scaling: Add machines without downtime or data migration
0️⃣ Easy to Use
- Zero Dependencies: No third-party middleware required
- Simple Deployment: Start with a single command
- Channel-Based Design: Easy to understand publish-subscribe model
- Developer Friendly: Comprehensive documentation and SDK support
🌲 Technical Support
- Official Support: Technical support from the core team
- Documentation: Comprehensive technical documentation
- Community: Active community and discussion groups
- Issue Tracking: GitHub Issues for feedback and bug reports
Architecture Overview
WuKongIM uses a channel-based architecture where:- Channels are the core communication units
- Users subscribe to channels to receive messages
- Messages are published to channels and delivered to subscribers
- Nodes work together in a distributed cluster for high availability
Use Cases
WuKongIM is perfect for:- Chat Applications: Group chats, private messaging, and social platforms
- Message Push: Notification systems and real-time updates
- IoT Communication: Device-to-device and device-to-server messaging
- Audio/Video Signaling: WebRTC signaling and media coordination
- Live Streaming: Chat and interaction features for live broadcasts
- Customer Service: Support chat systems and helpdesk solutions
- AI Communication: Chatbots and AI-powered messaging
- Instant Communities: Real-time community platforms and forums