RTP: Overview
RTP is a thin protocol providing support for applications with
real-time properties, including timing reconstruction, loss detection,
security and content identification. RTCP provides support for
real-time conferencing for large groups within an internet, including
source identification and support for gateways (like audio and video
bridges) and multicast-to-unicast translators. RTP can be used
without RTCP if desired. While UDP/IP is its initial target
networking environment, efforts have been made to make RTP
transport-independent so that it could be used, say, over CLNP, IPX or
other protocols. RTP is currently also in experimental use directly
over AAL5/ATM. RTP does not address the issue of resource reservation
or quality of service control; instead, it relies on resource
reservation protocols such as RSVP.Other applications, such as real-time control and distributed
simulation, are also targets.
Henning Schulzrinne
