UDP

User Datagram Protocol

A connectionless and lightweight transport protocol within the Internet Protocol Suite. Unlike TCP, which provides reliable and ordered data delivery, UDP focuses on simplicity and low overhead.

UDP is often used for applications that require fast and efficient communication but can tolerate potential data loss or out-of-order delivery. Some key characteristics of UDP include:

1. Connectionless: UDP does not establish a connection between the sender and receiver before sending data. Each UDP datagram (packet) is independent and can be sent without any prior setup. This lack of connection establishment overhead makes UDP faster and more suitable for real-time applications.
2. Unreliable Delivery: UDP does not guarantee the delivery of packets. Once a UDP packet is sent, the sender does not receive acknowledgments or retransmit lost packets. If reliability is required, it must be implemented at the application level.
3. Low Overhead: UDP has minimal protocol overhead compared to TCP. It does not include features like flow control, congestion control, or error recovery, which are present in TCP. As a result, UDP has lower latency and overhead, making it suitable for time-sensitive applications.
4. Datagram Structure: UDP transmits data in discrete units called datagrams. Each datagram contains a header containing source and destination port numbers, length information, and a checksum for error detection. The payload of a UDP datagram can vary in size.

UDP is commonly used in applications such as streaming media, Voice over IP (VoIP), online gaming, DNS (Domain Name System), and SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), among others. These applications benefit from the lower overhead and real-time communication capabilities UDP provides.

However, because UDP does not provide reliable delivery and congestion control mechanisms, it is susceptible to packet loss, out-of-order delivery, and amplification attacks. Therefore, applications built on UDP must handle these aspects appropriately, ensuring proper error handling and data integrity.

• Abbreviation: UDP