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User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

1980
  • David P. Reed
Engineers collaborating in a computer networking lab on User Datagram Protocol applications.

(generated image for illustration only)

The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a minimal, connectionless Transport Layer protocol. It provides a simple datagram service without the reliability, ordering, or flow control mechanisms of TCP. Its main advantages are low overhead and low latency, making it suitable for time-sensitive applications like DNS lookups, online gaming, and live video streaming, where speed is more critical than perfect reliability.

UDP operates on a ‘fire-and-forget’ basis. An application can send a UDP datagram to a destination without first establishing a connection. The UDP header is very simple, containing only source and destination port numbers, the datagram length, and an optional checksum for error detection. This minimalism translates directly to performance benefits. There is no delay from a connection setup handshake, no state to maintain for connections, and no retransmission of lost packets. This makes UDP ideal for applications that can tolerate some packet loss or have their own mechanisms for handling it. For example, in a VoIP call, losing a few milliseconds of audio is preferable to delaying the entire conversation to retransmit a lost packet. Similarly, in online gaming, receiving slightly outdated game state information is better than pausing the game to wait for a reliable data stream. The QUIC protocol, which underlies HTTP/3, is built on top of UDP to combine its low latency with custom reliability and congestion control mechanisms.

UNESCO Nomenclature: 3307
– Computer science

Type

Software/Algorithm

Disruption

Substantial

Usage

Widespread Use

Precursors

  • the need for a simpler, faster alternative to tcp
  • experience with real-time packet voice experiments on arpanet
  • the design of the pup (parc universal packet) protocol suite at xerox parc

Applications

  • domain name system (dns)
  • voice over ip (voip)
  • online gaming
  • live video and audio streaming
  • trivial file transfer protocol (tftp)
  • dynamic host configuration protocol (dhcp)

Patents:

NA

Potential Innovations Ideas

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Related to: udp, user datagram protocol, transport layer, connectionless, datagram, low latency, low overhead, dns, voip, streaming.

Historical Context

User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

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(if date is unknown or not relevant, e.g. "fluid mechanics", a rounded estimation of its notable emergence is provided)

Related Invention, Innovation & Technical Principles

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