Which transport protocol is known for being connectionless and facilitating transport of IP data?

User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is recognized for its connectionless nature and its role in the transport of IP data. Unlike connection-oriented protocols, UDP does not establish a dedicated end-to-end connection before sending data. This characteristic allows for faster transmission since it reduces the overhead associated with setting up and maintaining connections. UDP is commonly used in scenarios where speed is prioritized over reliability, such as streaming media, online gaming, and voice over IP (VoIP) applications.

Moreover, UDP encapsulates packets of data known as datagrams, which are sent independently of one another. There is no guarantee of delivery, order, or error correction, which further distinguishes it from connection-oriented protocols. This makes it suitable for applications that can tolerate some loss of data but require timely delivery.

In contrast, other protocols mentioned, such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), are connection-oriented and ensure reliable transport through mechanisms like handshaking, error correction, and flow control. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), while also transport-oriented, relies on TCP for reliable transmission, and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) operates over TCP as well. These protocols emphasize reliability and data integrity, which differs fundamentally from the characteristics of UDP.