.Net Remoting Channels

Channels are the objects that remote objects use to communicate with each other. It allows applications to send and receive messages using protocols such as TCP and HTTP. It is a message carrier that converts the message in either as XML or binary format before sending message across boundary.

In .Net Framework, channel's classes and interfaces are included in System.Runtime.Remotig.Channels namespace. A channel needs to be registered to the remoting system infrastructure both at client and server side before it receives or send data.

Based on the protocol used by the channel, you have
HTTPChannel
TCPChannel

HTTPChannel

.Net Framework provides System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.http namespace that provides classes to use HTTPChannel. You can use HTTPChannel when interoperability is the main issue. HTTPChannel uses SOAPformatter to serialize messages into XML format before sending messages.

TCPChannel

.Net Framework provides System.Runtime.Remoting.Channels.tcp namespace that provides classes to use TCPChannel. This kind of channel is used when performance is main issue. TCPChannel uses BinaryFormatter to serialize messages into binary stream before sending messages.