The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a simple transport layer protocol that is used to send and receive data over the internet. Unlike the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), UDP does not establish a connection between the sender and receiver before sending data. Instead, it sends data as soon as it is available.
Here is how the UDP protocol works:
1. Source sends data: The sender application sends data in a UDP packet, which contains the source and destination IP address, source and destination port numbers, and the payload data.
1. Data is routed: The packet is routed through the network to the destination IP address.
1. Receiver receives data: The receiver application listens for incoming UDP packets on a specific port. When a packet arrives, it checks the source and destination IP addresses and port numbers to make sure it is intended for the receiving application.
1. Data is processed: If the packet is valid, the receiver application processes the data in the payload and sends a response packet, if necessary.
1. Process repeats: This process repeats for each UDP packet sent and received.
UDP is often used for real-time applications such as online gaming, video conferencing, and VoIP calls, where a small amount of data loss is acceptable and speed is crucial. However, UDP has no built-in mechanism for error detection or recovery, so it cannot guarantee delivery or order of data packets.
