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User Datagram Protocol

Created on Dec 4, ’22 ・ Updated on May 14, ’23

C API

int sock = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_UDP);

int bytes_sent = sendto(sock, buffer, strlen(buffer), 0,(struct sockaddr*)&sa, sizeof sa);

int recsize = recvfrom(sock, (void *)buffer, sizeof(buffer), 0, (struct sockaddr *)&sa, &fromlen);

Java API

// creates socket and binds it to the given port
DatagramSocket(int port)

// sends the given datagram
send(DatagramPacket p)

// waits for a datagram, the payload will be stored in the given instance
receive(DatagramPacket p)

// creates a datagram
DatagramPacket(byte[] buf, int length, InetAddress address, int port)

// retrieve datagram info
InetAddress getAddress()
int getPort()
byte[] getData()

Messaging patterns

  • Fire-and-forget: when datagram loss is acceptable.
  • Request-reply: we send a datagram and wait for an reply. In case multiple requests are sent before replies are received, a token can be sent with each payload to identify the matching reply.
  • Service-discovery: uses multicast or broadcast.

Unicast, Broadcast, Multicast

  • Unicast: packet sent to a single device of a network (defined by an IP address and port).
  • Broadcast: packet sent to all devices of a network.
  • Multicast: packet sent to all interested devices of a network.

Broadcast Java Example

socket = new DatagramSocket();
socket.setBroadcast(true);

byte[] payload = "Java is cool, everybody should know!".getBytes();

DatagramPacket datagram = new DatagramPacket(payload, payload.length, InetAddress.getByName("255.255.255.255"), 4411);
socket.send(datagram);

Multicast Java Example

private InetAddress multicastGroup;
MulticastSocket socket = new MulticastSocket(port);
socket.joinGroup(multicastGroup);

Service-Discovery Protocols

  • Service provider publish datagram with contact details in multicast group every 5 seconds. A client joins the multicast group and receives the datagrams.
  • The service provider joins a multicast group and the laptops send service request datagrams. Printers then contact the laptops individually with contact details.