User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a lightweight, connectionless transport protocol that provides minimal services. Unlike TCP, UDP does not require handshaking before communication begins. It is commonly used in applications where low latency and efficiency are more critical than reliability.

Key Characteristics:

• Unreliable data transfer: UDP does not guarantee delivery of data.
• No ordering of messages: Packets may arrive out of order.
• No error recovery: If a packet is lost or corrupted, it is not retransmitted.
• Connectionless communication: No need to establish or maintain a connection.
• Low overhead: Smaller header size compared to TCP (only 8 bytes).

Use Cases of UDP

UDP is useful for applications that prioritize speed over reliability:

• Finer application-level control: Allows applications to manage packet loss, retransmission, and congestion control.
• No connection establishment: Reduces delay, making it suitable for time-sensitive applications.
• No connection state: Ideal for handling large numbers of clients efficiently.
• Small packet header overhead: More efficient for simple data transmission.

Common Applications:

1. Streaming Media (Audio/Video)
2. DNS (Domain Name System)
3. Online Gaming
4. IoT (Internet of Things) Devices

Reference Books

1. Kurose, J. F., & Ross, K. W. Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach. Pearson.
2. Tanenbaum, A. S., & Wetherall, D. J. Computer Networks. Pearson.