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Unified Service Communication Protocol

The Linq Protocol is a revolutionary approach to service communication that provides a unified, consistent interface for interacting with multiple microservices. Instead of managing different endpoints, authentication methods, and protocols for each service, Linq Protocol offers a single, standardized way to communicate with all your services.

Quick Start

Jump straight into a practical example with our Quotes Service RAG Workflow

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Understanding the Problem

Traditional microservice architectures require developers to:

  • Know specific endpoints for each service
  • Handle different authentication methods per service
  • Manage varying protocols and data formats
  • Maintain complex routing logic in applications
  • Deal with service discovery and load balancing

This complexity grows exponentially as your system scales, making it difficult to maintain and integrate new services.

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Traditional API Approach

With traditional APIs, you need to know the exact endpoint for each service. However, Linqra simplifies this by providing a unified gateway architecture where all API requests go through a standardized endpoint pattern: /r/servicename.

curl -X GET https://localhost:7777/r/inventory-service/api/inventory \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "x-api-key: [API Key]" \
  -H "x-api-key-name: [API KEY NAME]"

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Service Examples

For example, if you have services like inventory-service, chatbot, or reportapp, you can access them through:

  • /r/inventory-service - For inventory management
  • /r/chatbot - For chatbot interactions
  • /r/reportapp - For report generation

Each service might have different endpoints, protocols, and authentication methods, but Linqra’s gateway architecture provides a unified way to access them through the /r/servicename pattern.

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Linq Protocol Approach

Linq Protocol provides a higher-level abstraction for service communication. While the gateway architecture uses /r/servicename endpoints, Linq Protocol unifies all interactions through a single POST /linq endpoint with a standardized schema.

curl -X POST https://localhost:7777/linq \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "x-api-key: [API Key]" \
  -H "x-api-key-name: [API KEY NAME]" \
  -d '{
    "link": {
      "target": "inventory-service",
      "action": "fetch"
    },
    "query": {
      "intent": "api/inventory",
      "params": {}
    }
  }'

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Key Components

The Linq Protocol request structure consists of:

  • POST /linq - Sends a Linq Protocol request
  • link - Defines the target service and action to perform
  • query - Specifies the API endpoint and parameters

This is just the beginning of what Linq Protocol can do. In advanced workflows, you can chain multiple service calls together, creating complex sequences of operations while maintaining the same simple interface. We’ll explore these advanced capabilities in detail in later sections.

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Key Benefits

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Consistency

Single endpoint for all service communications

All your service interactions go through one standardized endpoint, eliminating the need to remember different URLs, ports, or protocols for each service.

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Simplicity

Standardized request format across all services

Every request follows the same structure, making it easy to understand and maintain. No more guessing about endpoint formats or parameter structures.

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Maintainability

Easier to manage and update service interactions

When you need to update how services communicate, you only need to modify the Linq Protocol layer, not every individual service integration.

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Scalability

Simplified integration of new services

Adding new services to your system becomes trivial - just define the service in the Linq Protocol configuration and it’s immediately available through the unified interface.

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Advanced Capabilities

While the basic Linq Protocol provides unified service communication, its true power lies in advanced workflow capabilities:

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Workflow Orchestration

Chain multiple service calls together in complex sequences:

{
  "link": {
    "target": "workflow",
    "action": "execute"
  },
  "query": {
    "intent": "complex_operation",
    "workflow": [
      {
        "step": 1,
        "target": "service-a",
        "action": "fetch",
        "intent": "get_data"
      },
      {
        "step": 2,
        "target": "service-b",
        "action": "process",
        "intent": "transform_data",
        "params": {
          "input": "{{step1.result}}"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

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RAG Integration

Build sophisticated Retrieval-Augmented Generation workflows:

  • Semantic Search: Find relevant existing content
  • Intelligent Generation: Create new content when needed
  • Knowledge Accumulation: Build databases over time
  • Quality Optimization: Balance between retrieval and generation

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Caching & Performance

Optimize performance with built-in caching:

{
  "cacheConfig": {
    "enabled": true,
    "ttl": "86400",
    "key": "unique_cache_key"
  }
}

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Getting Started

Ready to explore Linq Protocol? Here’s how to get started:

  1. Basic Usage: Learn how to make simple service calls
  2. Workflow Examples: See how to build complex workflows
  3. RAG Workflows: Explore advanced AI-powered applications
  4. Best Practices: Understand optimization and maintenance

Next Steps

Start with our comprehensive Quotes Service RAG Workflow example

Linq Protocol is designed to be both powerful and accessible. Start with simple service calls and gradually build up to complex workflows as your needs grow.