public FutureDirect start() {
    if (peer.isShutdown()) {
      return FUTURE_REQUEST_SHUTDOWN;
    }

    final boolean keepAlive;
    final PeerAddress remotePeer;
    if (recipientAddress != null && recipientConnection == null) {
      keepAlive = false;
      remotePeer = recipientAddress;
    } else if (recipientAddress == null && recipientConnection != null) {
      keepAlive = true;
      remotePeer = recipientConnection.remotePeer();
    } else if (peerConnection != null) {
      keepAlive = true;
      remotePeer = peerConnection.remotePeer();
    } else {
      throw new IllegalArgumentException("either remotePeer or connection has to be set");
    }

    if (futureChannelCreator == null) {
      futureChannelCreator =
          peer.connectionBean().reservation().create(isForceUDP() ? 1 : 0, isForceUDP() ? 0 : 1);
    }

    final RequestHandler<FutureResponse> request =
        peer.directDataRPC().sendInternal(remotePeer, this);
    if (keepAlive) {
      if (peerConnection != null) {
        sendDirectRequest(request, peerConnection);
      } else {
        recipientConnection.addListener(
            new BaseFutureAdapter<FuturePeerConnection>() {
              @Override
              public void operationComplete(final FuturePeerConnection future) throws Exception {
                if (future.isSuccess()) {
                  sendDirectRequest(request, future.peerConnection());
                } else {
                  request.futureResponse().failed("Could not acquire channel (1)", future);
                }
              }
            });
      }

    } else {
      futureChannelCreator.addListener(
          new BaseFutureAdapter<FutureChannelCreator>() {
            @Override
            public void operationComplete(final FutureChannelCreator future) throws Exception {
              if (future.isSuccess()) {
                final FutureResponse futureResponse = request.sendTCP(future.channelCreator());
                Utils.addReleaseListener(future.channelCreator(), futureResponse);
              } else {
                request.futureResponse().failed("could not create channel", future);
              }
            }
          });
    }

    return new FutureDirect(request.futureResponse());
  }