Question: In TCP's ________ algorithm the size of the congestion window increases exponentially until it reaches a threshold.

Answer:

In TCP's congestion control algorithm, the size of the congestion window increases exponentially until it reaches a threshold. This algorithm is called the "slow start" algorithm.
In slow start, the TCP sender starts by sending a small number of packets, and then doubles the number of packets sent for each round-trip time (RTT) until it detects congestion. The congestion window (cwnd) is the number of unacknowledged packets that a sender is allowed to have in flight at any given time. During slow start, the cwnd increases exponentially, as the sender probes the network to find the maximum rate at which it can send data without causing congestion.
The slow start algorithm is used by TCP to initially ramp up the sending rate after a connection is established, or after a period of congestion. The goal is to quickly find the optimal rate at which data can be sent without causing congestion, while avoiding sending too much data too quickly and causing unnecessary packet loss. Once the cwnd reaches a pre-determined threshold value, the congestion control algorithm switches to a different mode, such as congestion avoidance or fast recovery, to maintain the network's stability and avoid congestion.

MCQ: In TCP's ________ algorithm the size of the congestion window increases exponentially until it reaches a threshold.

Correct Answer: A. congestion avoidance

In TCP's congestion control algorithm, the size of the congestion window increases exponentially until it reaches a threshold. This algorithm is called the "slow start" algorithm.
In slow start, the TCP sender starts by sending a small number of packets, and then doubles the number of packets sent for each round-trip time (RTT) until it detects congestion. The congestion window (cwnd) is the number of unacknowledged packets that a sender is allowed to have in flight at any given time. During slow start, the cwnd increases exponentially, as the sender probes the network to find the maximum rate at which it can send data without causing congestion.
The slow start algorithm is used by TCP to initially ramp up the sending rate after a connection is established, or after a period of congestion. The goal is to quickly find the optimal rate at which data can be sent without causing congestion, while avoiding sending too much data too quickly and causing unnecessary packet loss. Once the cwnd reaches a pre-determined threshold value, the congestion control algorithm switches to a different mode, such as congestion avoidance or fast recovery, to maintain the network's stability and avoid congestion.