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gRPC & High Performance APIs · Lesson

Server Streaming Explained

Understand and implement server-side streaming, where a server sends multiple responses to a single client request.

Server Streaming Explained is a free gRPC & High Performance APIs lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 1 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the gRPC & High Performance APIs learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Server Streaming Basics

In gRPC, a server-side streaming call is when a client sends a single request, but the server responds with a sequence of messages.

Think of it like subscribing to a newsletter: you send one request (subscribe), and the server sends you many updates over time (newsletters).

Use Cases for Streaming

Server streaming is perfect for scenarios where the server needs to push updates or a large amount of data to the client over time. Common uses include:

  • Real-time data feeds: Stock prices, sensor readings.
  • Notifications: Alerts, chat messages.
  • Large data downloads: Breaking a big file into smaller chunks.

Protobuf for Server Streaming

To define a server-side streaming method in your .proto file, you simply add the stream keyword before the response type.

This tells gRPC that the server will send multiple messages for each client request, not just one.

Streaming Protobuf Example

Here's how you define a service that streams messages from the server:

syntax = "proto3";

option java_package = "com.coddykit.grpc";
option java_outer_classname = "StreamingProto";

service NotifierService {
  rpc SubscribeToNotifications (SubscriptionRequest) returns (stream Notification);
}

message SubscriptionRequest {
  string userId = 1;
}

message Notification {
  string message = 1;
  int64 timestamp = 2;
}

Implementing the Server Stream

On the server side, your streaming method will receive a single request object, just like a unary call. However, instead of returning a single response, you'll use a StreamObserver to send multiple responses back to the client.

You'll typically loop and send messages, then call onCompleted() when done.

Server Method Structure

The server method for a streaming call takes the request and a StreamObserver. You send responses via responseObserver.onNext() and signal completion with responseObserver.onCompleted().

// Example (Java)
public void subscribeToNotifications(SubscriptionRequest request,
    io.grpc.stub.StreamObserver<Notification> responseObserver) {

  String userId = request.getUserId();
  System.out.println("Client " + userId + " subscribed.");

  // Simulate sending multiple notifications
  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
    Notification notification = Notification.newBuilder()
        .setMessage("Update " + (i + 1) + " for " + userId)
        .setTimestamp(System.currentTimeMillis())
        .build();
    responseObserver.onNext(notification); // Send a message
    try {
      Thread.sleep(1000); // Wait a bit
    } catch (InterruptedException e) { /* handle */ }
  }

  responseObserver.onCompleted(); // Signal completion
  System.out.println("Finished sending notifications to " + userId);
}

Receiving Streamed Responses

The client makes a single call, but then it needs to wait and process multiple responses. It provides a StreamObserver to handle the incoming messages, errors, and the completion signal from the server.

This observer will have onNext(), onError(), and onCompleted() methods.

Client Stream Observer

The client's StreamObserver defines how it reacts to each event from the server stream. It processes each onNext message until onCompleted is called.

// Example (Java)
StreamObserver<Notification> responseObserver = new StreamObserver<Notification>() {
  @Override
  public void onNext(Notification notification) {
    System.out.println("Received: " + notification.getMessage());
  }

  @Override
  public void onError(Throwable t) {
    System.err.println("Error: " + t.getMessage());
  }

  @Override
  public void onCompleted() {
    System.out.println("Server stream completed.");
  }
};

// Call the streaming method
// asyncStub.subscribeToNotifications(request, responseObserver);

Complete Server Stream Service

Here's a complete gRPC server that implements the SubscribeToNotifications server-side streaming method. Run this first, then the client!

import io.grpc.Server;
import io.grpc.ServerBuilder;
import io.grpc.stub.StreamObserver;
import com.coddykit.grpc.StreamingProto.SubscriptionRequest;
import com.coddykit.grpc.StreamingProto.Notification;
import com.coddykit.grpc.NotifierServiceGrpc.NotifierServiceImplBase;

public class StreamingServer {

  private Server server;

  private void start() throws Exception {
    int port = 50051;
    server = ServerBuilder.forPort(port)
        .addService(new NotifierServiceImpl())
        .build()
        .start();
    System.out.println("Server started, listening on " + port);

    Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread() {
      @Override
      public void run() {
        System.err.println("*** shutting down gRPC server since JVM is shutting down");
        StreamingServer.this.stop();
        System.err.println("*** server shut down");
      }
    });
  }

  private void stop() {
    if (server != null) {
      server.shutdown();
    }
  }

  private void blockUntilShutdown() throws InterruptedException {
    if (server != null) {
      server.awaitTermination();
    }
  }

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    final StreamingServer server = new StreamingServer();
    server.start();
    server.blockUntilShutdown();
  }

  static class NotifierServiceImpl extends NotifierServiceImplBase {
    @Override
    public void subscribeToNotifications(SubscriptionRequest request,
        StreamObserver<Notification> responseObserver) {

      String userId = request.getUserId();
      System.out.println("Server received subscription from: " + userId);

      for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
        Notification notification = Notification.newBuilder()
            .setMessage("Update " + (i + 1) + " for " + userId)
            .setTimestamp(System.currentTimeMillis())
            .build();
        responseObserver.onNext(notification);
        try {
          Thread.sleep(1000); // Simulate some work
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
          Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
          responseObserver.onError(e);
          return;
        }
      }
      responseObserver.onCompleted();
      System.out.println("Server finished sending notifications to: " + userId);
    }
  }
}

Complete Client Stream Receiver

Now, run this client code. It will connect to the server and receive the stream of notifications.

import io.grpc.ManagedChannel;
import io.grpc.ManagedChannelBuilder;
import io.grpc.stub.StreamObserver;
import com.coddykit.grpc.StreamingProto.SubscriptionRequest;
import com.coddykit.grpc.StreamingProto.Notification;
import com.coddykit.grpc.NotifierServiceGrpc;

import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

public class StreamingClient {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
    ManagedChannel channel = ManagedChannelBuilder.forAddress("localhost", 50051)
        .usePlaintext() // For local testing, no TLS
        .build();

    NotifierServiceGrpc.Stub asyncStub = NotifierServiceGrpc.newStub(channel);

    CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);

    System.out.println("Client sending subscription request...");
    SubscriptionRequest request = SubscriptionRequest.newBuilder()
        .setUserId("user123")
        .build();

    asyncStub.subscribeToNotifications(request, new StreamObserver<Notification>() {
      @Override
      public void onNext(Notification notification) {
        System.out.println("Client received notification: " + notification.getMessage());
      }

      @Override
      public void onError(Throwable t) {
        System.err.println("Client received error: " + t.getMessage());
        latch.countDown();
      }

      @Override
      public void onCompleted() {
        System.out.println("Client stream completed.");
        latch.countDown();
      }
    });

    latch.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS); // Wait for stream to complete
    System.out.println("Client finished.");

    channel.shutdown().awaitTermination(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
  }
}

Stream Method Check

You're building a gRPC service where a client requests a list of recent log entries, and the server continuously sends new entries as they occur. Which Protobuf definition correctly sets up the GetLogStream method for this?

Streaming Recap

Great job! In this lesson, you've learned about server-side streaming in gRPC.

  • It allows a server to send multiple responses for a single client request.
  • It's defined using the stream keyword on the response type in Protobuf.
  • You implemented both server and client logic to handle these continuous data flows.

Next, we'll explore client-side streaming, where the client sends multiple requests!

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Server Streaming Explained” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Server Streaming Explained” is free to read here on the web, and the gRPC & High Performance APIs course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the gRPC & High Performance APIs course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Server Streaming Explained”?

Understand and implement server-side streaming, where a server sends multiple responses to a single client request. You practise gRPC & High Performance APIs with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start gRPC & High Performance APIs?

No prior experience is required. gRPC & High Performance APIs on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 1 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Server Streaming Explained” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this gRPC & High Performance APIs lesson?

Yes. Every gRPC & High Performance APIs lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. Server Streaming Explained
  2. Client Streaming Explained
  3. Bidirectional Streaming
  4. Streaming Flow Control & Backpressure
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