Apparatus and method for receiving data from a network

• US 20040156366A1
• Filed: 02/08/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Walls, Jeffrey Joel, Hamilton, Michael T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/394
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• 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 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

An apparatus for receiving data from a network comprises a network interface and logic. The network interface is configured to receive a sequence of data packets from a network. The logic is configured to detect when a data packet is missing from the sequence. The logic is configured to initiate at least one retransmission of the missing data packet via a first transport protocol. The logic is further configured to initiate another retransmission of the missing data packet via a second transport protocol in response to a determination that an attempt to access the missing data packet is imminent.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving data from networks, comprising:

a network interface configured to receive a sequence of data packets from a network;

a queue; and

logic configured to store, in the queue, entries pointing to the data packets, the logic configured to detect when a data packet is missing from the sequence, the missing data packet having a queue position within the queue, the logic configured to select a transport protocol based on the queue position of the missing data packet and to initiate a retransmission of the missing data packet via the selected transport protocol.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the queue position is indicative of when an attempt to pull, from the queue, an entry pointing to the missing data packet is to occur.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to select the transport protocol based on a comparison of a threshold to a value indicative of the queue position.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the logic is configured to adjust the threshold based on a determination as to whether packet delivery logic stalls based on the missing data packet.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the logic is further configured to perform a comparison of the value to a second threshold and to determine whether to initiate a retransmission of the missing data packet via a different transport protocol based on the comparison of the value to the second threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the logic is further configured to perform a comparison of the value to a second threshold and to adjust the second threshold based on a determination as to whether the network interface receives an original transmission of the missing data packet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is configured to initiate at least one retransmission of the missing data packet via a different protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the selected protocol is transmission control protocol (TCP), and wherein the different protocol is user datagram protocol-multicast (UDPM).

9. An apparatus for receiving data from networks, comprising:

a network interface configured to receive a sequence of data packets from a network; and

logic configured to detect when a data packet is missing from the sequence, the logic configured to initiate at least one retransmission of the missing data packet via a first transport protocol, the logic further configured to initiate another retransmission of the missing data packet via a second transport protocol in response to a determination that an attempt to access the missing data packet is imminent.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a queue, wherein the logic is configured to store, in the queue, entries pointing to the data packets, one of the entries corresponding to the missing data packet, wherein the determination is based on whether an attempt to pull the corresponding entry, from the queue, is imminent.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic is configured to determine a value indicative of a number of entries to be pulled from the queue prior to the corresponding entry, wherein the logic is further configured to perform a comparison of the value to a threshold, and wherein the determination is based on the comparison.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic is configured to adjust the threshold based on whether the attempt to pull the corresponding entry is performed before the logic detects the missing data packet.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the logic is configured to determine a value indicative of a number of entries to be pulled from the queue prior to the corresponding entry, the logic further configured to determine whether to initiate the one retransmission based on a comparison of the value to a threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the logic is configured to adjust a threshold based on whether the logic detects an original transmission of the missing data packet.

15. An apparatus for receiving data from networks, comprising:

means for receiving a sequence of data packets from a network;

means for detecting when a data packet is missing from the sequence; and

means for initiating at least one retransmission of the missing data packet via a first transport protocol and for initiating another retransmission of the missing data packet via a second transport protocol in response to a determination that an attempt to access the missing data packet is imminent.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a means for queuing and a means for storing, to the queuing means, entries pointing to the data packets, wherein the initiating means is configured to determine a value indicative of a number of the entries to be pulled from the queuing means prior to the missing data packet, wherein the determination is based on the value.

17. A computer-readable medium having a program, the program comprising:

logic for receiving a sequence of data packets from a network; and

logic for storing, in a queue, entries pointing to the data packets;

logic for detecting when a data packet is missing from the sequence, the missing data packet having a queue position within the queue; and

logic for selecting a transport protocol based on the queue position of the missing data packet and for initiating a retransmission of the missing data packet via the selected transport protocol.

18. A method for receiving data from networks, comprising:

receiving a sequence of data packets;

storing, to the queue, entries pointing to the data packets;

detecting when a data packet is missing from the sequence;

associating the missing data packet with a queue position within the queue;

selecting a transport protocol based on the associated queue position; and

initiating a retransmission of the missing data packet via the selected transport protocol.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the queue position is indicative of when an attempt to pull, from the queue, an entry pointing to the missing data packet is to occur.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising comparing, to a threshold, a value indicative of the queue position, wherein the selecting is based on the comparing.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether an attempt to pull, from the queue, an entry that corresponds to the missing data packet occurs prior to a detection of the missing data packet; and

adjusting a threshold based on the determining.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

comparing, to a threshold, a value indicative of the queue position; and

initiating retransmission of the missing data packet via a different protocol based on the comparing.

23. A method for receiving data from networks, comprising:

receiving a sequence of data packets from a network;

detecting when a data packet is missing from the sequence;

initiating at least one retransmission of the missing data packet via a first transport protocol;

determining when an attempt to access the missing data packet is imminent; and

iniating another retransmission of the missing data packet via a second transport protocol in response to the determining.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising adjusting a threshold based on whether an original transmission of the missing data packet is received by a network interface.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising adjusting a threshold based on whether the attempt to access occurs before the missing data packet is received by a network interface.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing, to a queue, entries that point to the data packets, one of the entries corresponding to the missing data packet, wherein the determining is'"'"' based on whether an attempt to pull the corresponding entry, from the queue, is imminent.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining a value indicative of a number of entries to be pulled from the queue prior to corresponding entry; and

comparing the value to a threshold,

wherein the determining is based on the comparing.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

determining a value indicative of a number of data packets to be pulled from the queue prior to the corresponding entry;

comparing the value to a threshold; and

initiating the one retransmission based on the comparing.