from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
User Datagram Protocol
UDP
<protocol> (UDP) {Internet} {standard} {network layer},
{transport layer} and {session layer} {protocols} which
provide simple but {unreliable} {datagram} services. UDP is
defined in {STD 6}, {RFC 768}. It adds a {checksum} and
additional process-to-process addressing information [to
what?]. UDP is a {connectionless protocol} which, like {TCP},
is layered on top of {IP}.
UDP neither guarantees delivery nor does it require a
connection. As a result it is lightweight and efficient, but
all error processing and retransmission must be taken care of
by the {application program}.
{Unix manual page}: udp(4).
[Postel, Jon, User Datagram Protocol, RFC 768, Network
Information Center, SRI International, Menlo Park, Calif.,
August 1980].
(1998-02-11)