Stateless protocol
lastmod 2018-08-17created 2018-08-073 edits
In computing, a stateless protocol is a communication protocol that treats each request as an independent transaction unrelated to any previous request, so that communication consists of independent pairs of request and response. A stateless protocol does not require the server to retain session information or status about each communication partner across multiple requests. In contrast, a protocol that requires the server to maintain internal state is called a stateful protocol.
Examples of stateless protocols include the Internet Protocol (IP), the foundation of the Internet, and HTTP, the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web. The HTTP protocol provides no means of storing user data between requests.
Pros and cons
A stateless design simplifies server design, because there is no need to dynamically allocate storage to handle ongoing transmissions. If a client dies in the middle of a transaction, no part of the system needs to clean up the server's current state.
The drawback of statelessness is that additional information must be included with every request, and the server must interpret this extra information.