Reliable User Datagram Protocol


In computer networking, the Reliable User Datagram Protocol is a transport layer protocol designed at Bell Labs for the Plan 9 operating system. It aims to provide a solution where UDP is too primitive because guaranteed-order packet delivery is desirable, but TCP adds too much complexity or overhead. In order for RUDP to gain higher quality of service, RUDP implements features that are similar to TCP with less overhead.

Implementations

In order to ensure quality, it extends UDP by adding the following features:
  1. Acknowledgment of received packets
  2. Windowing and flow control
  3. Retransmission of lost packets
  4. Over-buffering
RUDP is not currently a formal standard, however, it was described in an IETF Internet Draft in 1999. It has not been proposed for standardization.

Cisco RUDP

, in its Signalling Link Terminals, uses RUDP for backhauling of SS7 MTP3 or ISDN signaling.
  1. RUDP v0 is used for SS7 MTP3 backhaul.
  2. RUDP v1 is used for ISDN PRI backhaul.
The versions are mutually incompatible and differ slightly from the IETF draft. The structure of the Cisco Session Manager used on top of RUDP is also different.

Microsoft R-UDP

Microsoft introduced another protocol which it named R-UDP and used it in its MediaRoom product for IPTV service delivery over multicast networks. This is a proprietary protocol and very little is known about its operation. It is not thought to be based on the above-referenced IETF draft.