Try Net::EasyTCP For example code, see Indirect file transfer and Sockets-File-Upload with Net::EasyTCP and for a rudimentary messaging system, here is a client and server example, (lightly tested recently, but works with Perl 5.14.1)

A server, must be started first

#!/usr/bin/perl

use Net::EasyTCP;

#my @nocrypt = qw(Crypt::RSA); #too slow, but more secure
#my @nocompress = qw(Compress::LZF); #just testing this feature

$server = new Net::EasyTCP(
    host  =>  "localhost", 
    mode  =>  "server",
    port  =>   2345,
    password => "ztest",
    donotcheckversion => 1,
#    donotencryptwith => \@nocrypt,
#    donotencrypt => 1,
#    donotcompresswith => \@nocompress,
#    donotcompress => 1,
    welcome => "Hi! Wecome to the test server!\n",
    )
       || die "ERROR CREATING SERVER: $@\n";

$server->setcallback(
     data            =>      \&gotdata,
     connect         =>      \&connected,
     disconnect      =>      \&disconnected,
    )
     || die "ERROR SETTING CALLBACKS: $@\n";

$server->start() || die "ERROR STARTING SERVER: $@\n";
####################################################
sub gotdata() {
my $client = shift;
my $serial = $client->serial();
my $data = $client->data();
print "Client $serial sent me some data, sending it right back to them
+ again\n";
$client->send($data) || die "ERROR SENDING TO CLIENT: $@\n";
if ($data eq "QUIT") {
$client->close() || die "ERROR CLOSING CLIENT: $@\n";
}
elsif ($data eq "DIE") {
$server->stop() || die "ERROR STOPPING SERVER: $@\n";
}
}
#####################################################
sub connected() {
my $client = shift;
my $serial = $client->serial();
print "Client $serial just connected\n";
}
###################################################
sub disconnected() {
my $client = shift;
my $serial = $client->serial();
print "Client $serial just disconnected\n";
}
[download]

and a client

#!/usr/bin/perl
use Net::EasyTCP;

# a client

$client = new Net::EasyTCP(
mode            =>      "client",
host            =>      'localhost',
port            =>      2345,
password        =>      ztest
)
|| die "ERROR CREATING CLIENT: $@\n";

my $encrypt = $client->encryption();
my $compress = $client->compression();
print "encryption method ->$encrypt\ncompression method ->$compress\n"
+;

my $encryption  = $client->encryption()  || "NO";
my $compression = $client->compression() || "NO";

print "Using $encryption encryption and $compression compression\n\n";

#Send and receive a simple string
$client->send("HELLO THERE") || die "ERROR SENDING: $@\n";
$reply = $client->receive() || die "ERROR RECEIVING: $@\n";
print "$reply\n";

#Send and receive complex objects/strings/arrays/hashes by reference
#%hash = ("to be or" => "not to be" , "just another" => "perl hacker")
+;
#$client->send(\%hash) || die "ERROR SENDING: $@\n";
#$reply = $client->receive() || die "ERROR RECEIVING: $@\n";
#foreach (keys %{$reply}) {
#print "Received key: $_ = $reply->{$_}\n";
#}

#Send and receive large binary data
#for (1..4096) {
#for (0..255) {
#$largedata .= chr($_);
#}
#}
#$client->send($largedata) || die "ERROR SENDING: $@\n";
#$reply = $client->receive() || die "ERROR RECEIVING: $@\n";

#$client->close();
$client->send('Hello from Joe') || die "ERROR SENDING: $@\n";
$reply = $client->receive() || die "ERROR RECEIVING: $@\n";
print "$reply\n";

while(1){
$input = <STDIN>;
$client->send($input) || die "ERROR SENDING: $@\n";
$reply = $client->receive() || die "ERROR RECEIVING: $@\n";
print "$reply\n";
}
[download]