Which of the following is/are example(s) of stateful application layer…
2016
Which of the following is/are example(s) of stateful application layer protocols?
(i) HTTP
(ii) FTP
(iii) TCP
(iv) POP3
- A.
(i) and (ii) only
- B.
(ii) and (iii) only
- C.
(ii) and (iv) only
- D.
(iv) only
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Correct answer: C
Answer: (ii) FTP and (iv) POP3 are stateful application-layer protocols.
What 'stateful' means: a stateful protocol maintains session state on the server (or across a connection) so interactions depend on prior messages in the same session.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): stateful — the control connection preserves session information such as authentication and current working directory across multiple commands.
POP3 (Post Office Protocol v3): stateful — it tracks a mailbox session and which messages have been retrieved or marked for deletion during that session.
Why HTTP is not counted as stateful here: HTTP itself is stateless (each request is independent); session-like behavior is achieved by additional mechanisms (cookies, tokens) but the protocol core does not maintain session state.
Why TCP isn't an answer: TCP is connection-oriented (stateful) but it belongs to the transport layer, not the application layer, so it isn't considered an application-layer protocol.