Transmission Control Protocol
TCP provides applications with a reliable, ordered byte stream. That transport service does not confirm that a request was processed in the business workflow.
What does TCP mean?
The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a transport protocol over IP. RFC9293 describes a reliable, ordered byte stream and the detection and retransmission of lost data. TCP is connection-oriented. The application must define where its own messages begin and end within that byte stream.
Example: transferring data to a portal service
In a fictional workflow, a client transfers a request over a TCP connection. Successful transport does not automatically mean that the portal service checked and durably stored the request. The client needs an appropriate acknowledgement from the application for that.
If the connection breaks before the response arrives, the business outcome may be unclear. A new TCP connection does not determine whether the previous request already took effect. The application must handle this situation before triggering an operation again.
TCP alone does not encrypt the data stream. Protecting application data requires an additional suitable security protocol.
Sources
Related terms
- IP addressAn IP address provides addressing on a network. It differs from a domain name and alone says nothing about the application reachable at that address.
- User Datagram ProtocolUDP transfers individual datagrams without its own guarantee of delivery or order. A protocol built on top must provide any required reliability.
- HTTPSHTTPS protects HTTP communication using TLS. Protected transport alone does not establish correct form processing or a user’s access rights.
- Return-PathReturn-Path records the SMTP reverse path in a header. It explains the technical route for error reports, not a person’s identity.
- Envelope-FromEnvelope-From identifies the SMTP sender for transport and error feedback. It must be distinguished from the visible sender address.
- DMARC aggregate reportA DMARC aggregate report summarises a reporting mail system’s domain checks over a period. It helps examine sending sources and misconfigurations.
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