<P> There can be complex interactions between stateful and stateless protocols among different protocol layers . For example, HTTP is an example of a stateless protocol layered on top of TCP, a stateful protocol, which is layered on top of IP, another stateless protocol, which is routed on a network that employs BGP, another stateful protocol, to direct the IP packets riding on the network . </P> <P> This stacking of layers continues even above HTTP . As a workaround for the lack of a session layer in HTTP, HTTP servers implement various session management methods, typically utilizing a unique identifier in a cookie or parameter that allows the server to track requests originating from the same client, and effectively creating a stateful protocol on top of HTTP . </P>

What is the difference between stateful and stateless protocol