What does the term "ephemeral port" refer to?

The term "ephemeral port" refers to a logical port that is assigned for a short duration, typically used for communication in networking. These ports are dynamically allocated by the operating system for client-side communications, often for specific sessions, and are released when the session ends.

This temporary nature of ephemeral ports allows for efficient utilization of available port numbers, as they can be reused frequently across different connections. Clients, such as web browsers or applications, will use ephemeral ports to interact with server applications, allowing them to establish communication without the need to reserve a port number permanently.

Understanding the concept of ephemeral ports is crucial in networking, particularly in connection-oriented protocols like TCP, where multiple simultaneous connections to a server can occur. It aids in efficient management of network resources, plays an essential role in the establishment and termination of connections, and is part of the fundamental behavior of applications that require network connectivity.