UDP (User Datagram Protocol) handles multicast distribution by sending packets to a group of hosts on a network simultaneously. When a UDP packet is sent using multicast addressing, it is transmitted to all hosts that have joined the multicast group. The sender does not know the exact number or identity of the receivers, but the data is broadcast to all members of the group.
To use multicast with UDP, a source host sends data to a multicast address instead of a unicast address. The receiving hosts that have joined the multicast group will receive the data. The multicast address is a special address that represents a group of hosts rather than a single host. Hosts that want to receive the data must request to join the multicast group by subscribing to the multicast address.
The distribution of multicast packets in UDP is handled in a “best-effort” manner. This means that the sender does not receive acknowledgments from the receivers and does not guarantee that every receiver will receive the data. The reliable delivery of multicast packets is not guaranteed, and any lost packets will not be re-transmitted. However, UDP multicast can be a very efficient way to distribute data in real-time applications where quality of service is not critical.
