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Status:

BEST CURRENT PRACTICE

Obsoletes:

RFC 5405

Updated by:

RFC 8899

Authors:

L. Eggert
G. Fairhurst
G. Shepherd

Stream:

IETF

Source:

tsvwg (wit)

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Abstract

The User Datagram Protocol (UDP) provides a minimal message-passingtransport that has no inherent congestion control mechanisms. Thisdocument provides guidelines on the use of UDP for the designers ofapplications, tunnels, and other protocols that use UDP. Congestioncontrol guidelines are a primary focus, but the document alsoprovides guidance on other topics, including message sizes,reliability, checksums, middlebox traversal, the use of ExplicitCongestion Notification (ECN), Differentiated Services Code Points(DSCPs), and ports.

Because congestion control is critical to the stable operation of theInternet, applications and other protocols that choose to use UDP asan Internet transport must employ mechanisms to prevent congestioncollapse and to establish some degree of fairness with concurrenttraffic. They may also need to implement additional mechanisms,depending on how they use UDP.

Some guidance is also applicable to the design of other protocols(e.g., protocols layered directly on IP or via IP-based tunnels),especially when these protocols do not themselves provide congestioncontrol.

This document obsoletes RFC 5405 and adds guidelines for multicastUDP usage.

For the definition ofStatus,seeRFC 2026.

For the definition ofStream, seeRFC 8729.