Sequenced Packet Protocol

What Does Sequenced Packet Protocol Mean?

SPP is a Xerox Network Systems (XNS) protocol for sequenced and connectionless packet delivery support. It is a network transport protocol providing reliable packet delivery with flow control.

Techopedia Explains Sequenced Packet Protocol

SPP is similar to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). A key technical difference is that SPP packets count sequence numbers but not bytes.

SPP manages several functions. It uses destination identification (ID) numbers for transport link target end definition. It also uses sequence numbers for transmitted and sequenced packet maintenance. SPP acknowledges allocated numbers for previous packets, which ensure destination reception alongside indicating successful transmission completion.

Novell’s Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX) is directly derived from SPP.

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Margaret Rouse

Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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