The Difference between ACK Flag and RST Flag in NetFlow Log Sessions

D.

In TCP communication, there are several flags that can be set in the header to control and indicate various aspects of the communication. Two of these flags are the ACK (acknowledgment) flag and the RST (reset) flag.

The ACK flag is used to indicate that the receiving end has received and acknowledged the receipt of a packet sent by the sending end. When a TCP packet with the ACK flag set is received, it indicates that the receiving end has successfully received a previous packet and is ready to receive the next one. In other words, the ACK flag confirms the receipt of the prior segment.

On the other hand, the RST flag is used to indicate that a connection should be immediately terminated. When a TCP packet with the RST flag set is received, it indicates that the connection should be closed and all data sent and received should be discarded. The RST flag allows for the spontaneous termination of a connection.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question is D: the ACK flag confirms the receipt of the prior segment, and the RST flag allows for the spontaneous termination of a connection. Option A and B are incorrect because they swap the roles of the ACK and RST flags. Option C is incorrect because it incorrectly states that the RST flag confirms the receipt of the prior segment, which is not the case.