diff --git a/src/common/protocol.h b/src/common/protocol.h
--- a/src/common/protocol.h
+++ b/src/common/protocol.h
@@ -21,3 +21,35 @@
    This file defines the constants and structs that the client uses to talk to the server and that the servers use to talk to eachother.
  */
 
+/**
+   generic, shared requests 
+ */
+enum distren_request_type
+  {
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_VERSION = 1, /*< identifies the version of software being 
+				   used by the sender and tells if it is a client or server */
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_PING = 2, 
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_PONG = 3,
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_DISCONNECT = 4,
+    
+    /**
+       client->server only requests
+    */
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_SUBMIT = 5,
+
+    /**
+       anything->server requests
+     */
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_JOBINFO = 6, /*< retrieves information about a job based on its number */
+
+    /**
+       server->anything
+     */
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_JOBINFO_RESPONSE = 7, /*< returns information about a job */
+
+    /**
+       server->server
+    */
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_RENDERFRAME = 8,
+    DISTREN_REQUEST_DONEFRAME = 9
+  };