Method and apparatus to manage packet fragmentation

• US 20020136217A1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Christensen, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/43 Assembling or disassembling of packets, e.g. segmentation and reassembly [SAR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and apparatus to improve network performance by managing packet fragmentation are described.

Claims

1. A method to manage packet fragmentation, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet;

determining an operating status for said operating parameter; and

performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said operating parameter represents a priority level for said packet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said operating status comprises an operating status consisting essentially of one of the following:

active and de-active.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said priority level is high and said operating status is active.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said priority level is low and said operating status is de-active.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining an operating status for said operating parameter, comprises:

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period; and

determining said operating status substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said operating parameter is a high priority level, said high priority level was determined within said time period, and said operating status is active.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said operating parameter is a low priority level, said low priority level having been determined within said time period, and said operating status is de-active.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining an operating status for said operating parameter comprises:

searching for said operating parameter; and

retrieving said operating status associated with said operating parameter.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining an operating parameter comprises:

receiving said packet with an operating parameter identifier; and

retrieving said operating parameter identifier from said packet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said operating parameter identifier represents a priority level for said product.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said operating parameter identifier comprises an operating parameter identifier consisting essentially of one of the following:

a differential services code byte, a real time protocol identifier, a voice over Internet Protocol identifier and a voice information identifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said operating parameter comprises an operating parameter identifier consisting essentially of one of the following:

a time, a date and a time and date.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining an operating parameter comprises:

searching for said operating parameter; and

retrieving said operating status associated with said retrieved operating parameter.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, further result in setting said operating status to activate packet fragmentation.

18. The article of claim 16, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, further result in setting said operating status to deactivate packet fragmentation.

19. The article of claim 16, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, further result in determining said operating status by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and determining said operating status substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

20. The article of claim 16, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, further result in determining said operating status by searching for said operating parameter, and retrieving said operating status associated with said operating parameter.

15. A method to manage packet fragmentation, comprising:

receiving a packet;

determining whether said packet comprises a packet consisting essentially of one of the following;

time sensitive and non-time sensitive information; and

performing packet fragmentation if said packet comprises essentially non-time sensitive information.

16. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in determining an operating parameter for at least one packet, determining an operating status for said operating parameter, and performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status.

21. A system comprising:

a computer platform adapted to manage packet fragmentation;

said platform being further adapted to determine an operating parameter for at least one packet, determine an operating status for said operating parameter, and perform packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said platform is further adapted to set an operating status to activate packet fragmentation.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said platform is further adapted to set an operating status to deactivate packet fragmentation.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said platform is further adapted to determine said operating status by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and to determine said operating status substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein said platform is further adapted to determine said operating status by searching for said operating parameter, and retrieve an operating status associated with said operating parameter.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said operating parameter comprises a connection speed.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said packet fragment size increases as said connection speed increases.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said packet fragment size decreases as said connection speed decreases.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein said operating parameter comprises a priority level.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said packet fragment size decreases as said priority level increases.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said packet fragment size increases as said priority level decreases.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said determining comprises:

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period; and

determining said packet fragment size substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein said at least one operating parameter comprises a connection speed and priority level.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said packet fragment size increases within a priority level as said connection speed increases.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said packet fragment size decreases within a priority level as said connection speed decreases.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said determining said packet fragment size comprises:

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a time period; and

determining said packet fragment size in accordance with said evaluation.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said operating parameter is a high priority level, said high priority level was determined within said time period, and said operating status is active.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said operating parameter is a low priority level, said low priority level having been determined within said time period, and said operating status is de-active.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein said determining comprises:

searching for said at least one operating parameter; and

retrieving a packet fragment size associated with said at least one operating parameter.

26. A method to perform packet fragmentation, comprising:

determining an operating parameter;

determining a packet fragment size using said operating parameter; and

modifying said packet fragment size substantially in accordance with said determination.

41. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in to determine an operating parameter, to determine a packet fragment size using said operating parameter, and to modify said packet fragment size in accordance with said determination.

42. The article of claim 41, wherein the stored instructions, when executed by a processor, further result in determining said packet fragment size by searching for said at least one operating parameter, and retrieving a packet fragment size associated with said at least one operating parameter.

43. A system comprising:

a computer platform adapted to perform packet fragmentation;

said platform being further adapted to determine an operating parameter, determine a packet fragment size using said operating parameter, and modify said packet fragment size substantially in accordance with said determination.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said platform is further adapted to determining said packet fragment size by searching for said at least one operating parameter, and retrieving said packet fragment size associated with said at least one operating parameter.