TCP - Transmission Control Protocol

Windowing - Automatic Flow Control

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As we discussed about how a connection being established  between two devices in TCP ( please refer the topic  3 way handshake concept ), The next immediate step is to start transferring data packets. It just happen like this.

Step 1. Establishing Connection

A -->>-->>-->>-->>-- Synchronization -->>-->>-->>-->>-- B

A --<<--<<--Acknowledgement + Synchronization--<<--<<--B 

A-->>-->>-->>-->>--Acknowledgement-->>-->>-->>-->>--B

A ---<<--<<--<<---Connection  Established---<<--<<--<<---B

Step 2. Data Transferring

A -->>-->>-->>-->>-->>--Packet  1-->>-->>-->>-->>-->>--B

A--<<--<<--<<--<<--Acknowledgement 2--<<--<<--<<--<<--B

Remember that when B receives the packet number 1, B send Acknowledgement number 2 

A--->>-->>-->>-->>---Packet  2, 3, 4, 5--->>-->>-->>-->>---B

A--<<--<<--<<--<<--Acknowledgement   6--<<--<<--<<--<<--B

A->>-->>-->>---Packet 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13-->>-->>-->>-B

A--<<--<<--<<--<<--Acknowledgement 11--<<--<<--<<--<<--B

See the above incident, A sends packet number 6 to 13 but B sends the acknowledgement number 11. That means B has only received packets up to number 10. Then A have to send lost packets again.

A->>-->>-->>-->>---Packet 11, 12, 13, 14->>-->>-->>--->>--B

A--<<--<<--<<--<<--Acknowledgement  15--<<--<<--<<--<<--B

Likewise A always wants to finish sending packets as possible as early. So A gradually increase the number of packets sending in one time. But at a certain level B gets busy and fails to handle all the packets, Then B send a message to A to say that the number of packets sending in one time is too much, so please decrease the number of packets. Then A decrease the number of packets and in such case the data flowing rate is increasing and decreasing automatically. If you observe the data flowing rate via a graphical chart you can see the rate is going up and down like this.

This process calling windowing (automatic flow control) in TCP