On full-duplex conversations, both partners can be in SEND/RECEIVE state and send and receive information concurrently. Unlike half-duplex conversations, no conversation partner has to request a change in state to send or receive information. Both conversations partners have the ability to send and receive information.

An exception is when a conversation partner normally deallocates a conversation. The conversation partner deallocating the conversation enters RECEIVE_ONLY state after initiating the deallocation, and the partner receiving the deallocation request enters SEND_ONLY state. At this point, the partner in RECEIVE_ONLY state can only receive information and the partner in SEND_ONLY state can only send information.