The TLS protocol is a security cornerstone for online protocols, including for web, sending and receiving email, chat and many more. Unfortunately, its operational aspects do not reflect its importance. TLS Pool is a project that aims at making TLS an easier protocol to operate on.

The Applications that use the TLS Pool need to address it in a specific manner, as specified in the Socket Protocol and a few layers built around it to make it even simpler to use.

The intention of an Application is usually to connect to a remote node, and then at some point initiate TLS over the connection. Both ends should do this simultaneously, which is why standards either prescribe to do it immediately after connecting, or after a handshake procedure known as STARTTLS.