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Networking Fundamentals · Intermediate

Flow Control

Mechanisms that prevent a fast sender from overwhelming a slow receiver.

Definition

TCP implements flow control through the receiver's advertised window. Ethernet has its own flow control using PAUSE frames (IEEE 802.3x) and priority flow control (802.1Qbb) in data centers. Flow control protects the receiver, while congestion control protects the network.

Example

A server advertising a smaller window slows down a client that is uploading too fast.

Exam tip

Flow control is about the receiver; congestion control is about the network path.

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