We often think of protocol choice as a purely technical decision, but it’s a critical factor in the user experience and how your application is consumed. This is a high-impact business decision, making it crucial for the technical team first to understand the business situation and priorities.
Choosing the right transport protocol — TCP, UDP or QUIC — profoundly impacts scalability, reliability and performance. These protocols function like different postal services, each offering a unique approach to delivering messages across networks. Should your platform prioritize the reliability of a certified letter, the speed of a doorstep drop-off or the innovation of a couriered package with signature confirmation?
This decision-making framework breaks down the strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases of TCP, UDP and QUIC. It gives platform engineers and architects the insights to choose the proper protocol for their systems.
Overview of Protocols
Most engineers are familiar with TCP and have heard of UDP. Some may even have hands-on experience with QUIC. However, to make the right choice, it’s helpful to align on how these protocols compare before diving into the decision-making framework.
TCP: The Certified Letter
Ron Northcutt