UDP: User Datagram Protocol [RFC 768]

• “no frills,” “bare bones” Internet transport protocol

• “best effort” service, UDP segments may be:

  • lost
  • delivered out of order to app

• connectionless:

  • no handshaking between UDP sender, receiver
  • each UDP segment handled independently of others

Why is there a UDP?

• no connection establishment (which can add delay)

• simple: no connection state at sender, receiver

• small segment header

• no congestion control: UDP can blast away as fast as desired

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