Definition: The Nagle algorithm, named after engineer John Nagle, was designed to reduce LAN and other network congestion from TCP applications. TCP implementations on UNIX began using the Nagle algorithm in the 1980s, and the algorithm remains a standard feature of TCP implementations today.
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The Nagle algorithm works by aggregating data on the sending side of TCP applications. It accumulates sequences of small messages into larger TCP packets before data reaches the wire, thereby preventing the generation of unnecessarily large numbers of small packets. When the Nagle algorithm works as designed, TCP applications utilize network resources more efficiently.
Applications can enable or disable the Nagle algorithm with the TCP_NODELAY socket option. Windows, Linux, and Java systems all normally enable the Nagle algorithm by default. However, in some cases, the Nagle algorithm has a negative effect on application performance, so network application engineers may prefer to disable it.
Also Known As: nagling
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