Methods for improved transmission control protocol (TCP) performance visibility and devices thereof

• US 10,412,198 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Duke, Martin, Amdahl, Saxon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Phuc H
• Application Number:
  US15/721,184
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/02 Protocol performance

Abstract

Methods, non-transitory computer readable media, network traffic management apparatuses, and network traffic management systems that generate a duration corresponding to a current one of a plurality of states in a TCP connection. The duration is generated based on a difference between a stored time recorded at a previous transition to the current one of the states and a current time. The duration is stored or output as associated with the current one of the states. The stored time recorded at the previous transition to the current one of the states is then replaced with the current time. A determination is made when one or more TCP configurations should be modified based on the duration for the current one of the states. The one or more TCP configurations are automatically modified to improve TCP performance, when the determining indicates that the one or more TCP configurations should be modified.

Claims

1. A method for improved transmission control protocol (TCP) performance implemented by a network traffic management system comprising one or more network traffic management apparatuses, client devices, or server devices, and the method comprising:

monitoring a TCP connection to determine when an event and a current transition from a previous state to a new state have occurred in the TCP connection and, when the determination indicates that the event and the current transition from the previous state to the new state have occurred in the TCP connection;

generating a duration corresponding to the previous state;

determining, based on the generated duration, when one or more TCP configurations require modification; and

automatically modifying the one or more TCP configurations to improve TCP performance, when the determination indicates that the one or more TCP configurations require modification.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the duration based on a difference between a stored time recorded at a previous transition to the previous state and a current time of the current transition; and

replacing the stored time with the current time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises one or more of sending a packet, receiving data from an upper layer, expiration of a TCP timer, or receiving another packet comprising an acknowledgement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing or outputting the generated duration as associated with the previous state.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining when a reset packet has been received or an acknowledgement packet has been received in response to a finish packet; and

outputting the stored duration or another stored duration corresponding to one or more other states, when the determination indicates that the reset packet has been received or the acknowledgement packet has been received in response to the finish packet.

6. A network traffic management apparatus, comprising memory comprising programmed instructions stored thereon and one or more processors configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to:

monitor a TCP connection to determine when an event and a current transition from a previous state to a new state have occurred in the TCP connection and, when the determination indicates that the event and the current transition from the previous state to the new state have occurred in the TCP connection;

generate a duration corresponding to the previous state;

determine, based on the generated duration, when one or more TCP configurations require modification; and

automatically modify the one or more TCP configurations to improve TCP performance, when the determination indicates that the one or more TCP configurations require modification.

7. The network traffic management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to:

generate the duration based on a difference between a stored time recorded at a previous transition to the previous state and a current time of the current transition; and

replace the stored time with the current time.

8. The network traffic management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the event comprises one or more of sending a packet, receiving data from an upper layer, expiration of a TCP timer, or receiving another packet comprising an acknowledgement.

9. The network traffic management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to store or output the generated duration as associated with the previous state.

10. The network traffic management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to:

determine when a reset packet has been received or an acknowledgement packet has been received in response to a finish packet; and

output the stored duration or another stored duration corresponding to one or more other states, when the determination indicates that the reset packet has been received or the acknowledgement packet has been received in response to the finish packet.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for improved transmission control protocol (TCP) performance comprising executable code which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

monitor a TCP connection to determine when an event and a current transition from a previous state to a new state have occurred in the TCP connection and, when the determination indicates that the event and the current transition from the previous state to the new state have occurred in the TCP connection;

generate a duration corresponding to the previous state;

determine, based on the generated duration, when one or more TCP configurations require modification; and

automatically modify the one or more TCP configurations to improve TCP performance, when the determination indicates that the one or more TCP configurations require modification.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executable code when executed by the one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to:

generate the duration based on a difference between a stored time recorded at a previous transition to the previous state and a current time of the current transition; and

replace the stored time with the current time.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the event comprises one or more of sending a packet, receiving data from an upper layer, expiration of a TCP timer, or receiving another packet comprising an acknowledgement.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executable code when executed by the one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to store or output the generated duration as associated with the previous state.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executable code when executed by the one or more processors further causes the one or more processors to:

determine when a reset packet has been received or an acknowledgement packet has been received in response to a finish packet; and

output the stored duration or another stored duration corresponding to one or more other states, when the determination indicates that the reset packet has been received or the acknowledgement packet has been received in response to the finish packet.

16. A network traffic management system, comprising one or more traffic management apparatuses, client devices, or server devices, memory comprising programmed instructions stored thereon, and one or more processors configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to, when a determination indicates that an event and a current transition from a previous state to a new state have occurred in a monitored transmission control protocol (TCP) connection:

generate a duration corresponding to the previous state; and

automatically modify one or more TCP configurations to improve TCP performance, when a determination based on the generated duration indicates that the one or more TCP configurations require modification.

17. The network traffic management system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to:

generate the duration based on a difference between a stored time recorded at a previous transition to the previous state and a current time of the current transition; and

replace the stored time with the current time.

18. The network traffic management system of claim 16, wherein the event comprises one or more of sending a packet, receiving data from an upper layer, expiration of a TCP timer, or receiving another packet comprising an acknowledgement.

19. The network traffic management system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to store or output the generated duration as associated with the previous state.

20. The network traffic management system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the stored programmed instructions to output the stored duration or another stored duration corresponding to one or more other states, when a determination indicates that a reset packet has been received or an acknowledgement packet has been received in response to a finish packet.