What protocol provides mechanisms to ensure that data is reliably delivered from one node to another?

The correct choice is the protocol known for providing reliable data delivery from one node to another, which is Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that establishes a reliable communication channel between a sender and a receiver. It includes mechanisms for ensuring that data packets are delivered accurately and in the correct order. This reliability is achieved through techniques such as error checking, acknowledgment of received packets, retransmission of lost packets, and flow control to manage the data rate between the sender and receiver.

In contrast, User Datagram Protocol (UDP) does not guarantee reliable delivery; it is a connectionless protocol that allows data packets to be sent without establishing a dedicated end-to-end connection, which can lead to packet loss without any notification. Internet Protocol (IP) is responsible for addressing and routing packets but does not provide any delivery guarantees, as it operates at a lower level without connection establishment or acknowledgment mechanisms. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an application layer protocol used for transferring files over a network, and while it uses TCP for transport, it is not fundamentally designed for reliable delivery of general data on its own.

Overall, TCP’s reliability mechanisms are what make it suitable for applications where data integrity and order are critical.