Which concept ensures data is sent efficiently without overwhelming the network?

Flow control is a vital concept in networking that ensures data transmission occurs smoothly without overwhelming the network. Its primary purpose is to regulate the rate at which data is sent from a sender to a receiver, ensuring that the sender does not send more data than the receiver can handle at one time. This helps prevent packet loss, minimizes the need for retransmissions, and maintains the overall efficiency of the communication channel.

In practical terms, flow control mechanisms, such as sliding window protocols, allow the sender to adjust the data transmission rate based on feedback about the receiver's ability to process the incoming data. By effectively managing the flow of data, this concept helps maintain a stable and reliable connection, especially in environments with varying network capacities and traffic loads.

While other options may relate to network performance, they focus on different aspects. For instance, data encryption pertains to securing information but does not inherently deal with transmission rates. Throughput monitoring involves measuring the amount of data processed over time but does not influence how to manage or regulate that data flow. Congestion management, while closely related, focuses more on dealing with situations where network capacity is exceeded rather than proactively ensuring efficient data transmission through controlled flow. Thus, flow control stands as the most direct concept for achieving efficient data transfer