Typically, a WebSocket will be utilized to create a connection, offering a streamlined communication pathway between the server and the client. You can feel confident knowing that if a WebSocket connection cannot be established, the system will revert to HTTP long-polling as a backup option. Furthermore, should the connection fail, the client will make automatic attempts to reconnect seamlessly. This allows for easy scaling across multiple servers while efficiently broadcasting events to all connected clients. Socket.IO is a powerful library designed to facilitate low-latency, bidirectional, and event-driven communication between clients and servers. This library is built upon the WebSocket protocol and enhances it by offering features such as fallback to HTTP long-polling and built-in reconnection capabilities. The WebSocket protocol itself enables a full-duplex, low-latency communication link between the server and web browsers. There are multiple Socket.IO server implementations available, along with client versions in most widely-used programming languages, ensuring broad compatibility and flexibility for developers. This versatility allows developers to easily integrate real-time functionalities into their applications.