Transferring control of a TCP connection between devices

• US 20040158640A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alacritech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alacritech, Inc.
• Inventors: Higgen, David A., Philbrick, Clive M., Craft, Peter K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/10 Streamlined, light-weight or high-speed protocols, e.g. express transfer protocol [XTP] or byte stream
• 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 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for network communication, comprising a device coupled between a computer and a network to receive from the computer a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection, the device receiving from the network at least one packet associated with the TCP connection and processing a TCP header for the at least one packet, the computer having a memory storing instructions to pass the TCP connection to the device in first and second commands, the first command signaling an intent to transfer of the TCP connection, the second command responsive to an indication from the device that the device is prepared to receive the TCP connection.

Claims

1. A method for data communication by a computer that is coupled to a network by a device, the method comprising:

controlling a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection by the computer;

sending a first signal from the computer to the device, the first signal indicating an intention to transfer control of the TCP connection from the computer to the device;

responding to the first signal by the device, including sending a second signal from the device to the computer, the second signal indicating that the device is able to receive control of the TCP connection; and

sending a third signal from the computer to the device, the third signal responsive to the second signal and transferring control of the TCP connection from the computer to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying the transfer of information corresponding to the TCP connection from the device to the computer, subsequent to sending the first signal, until the third signal has been received by the device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising delaying the transfer of information corresponding to the TCP connection from the computer to the device, subsequent to sending the first signal, until the third signal has been sent from the computer to the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first signal from the computer to the device includes sending a context number corresponding to the TCP connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first signal from the computer to the device includes sending an Internet Protocol (IP) address and TCP ports corresponding to the TCP connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein responding to the first signal by the device includes establishing a provisional context corresponding to the TCP connection and controlled by the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first signal from the computer to the device includes sending a command from the computer to the device, including identifying the TCP connection in the command.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring control of the TCP connection from the device to the computer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a TCP connection includes maintaining a context for the TCP connection.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the TCP connection by the computer, prior to sending the first signal from the computer to the device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

TCP processing a first packet corresponding to the TCP connection by the computer, prior to sending the first signal from the computer to the device; and

TCP processing a second packet corresponding to the TCP connection by the device, subsequent to sending the third signal from the computer to the device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

delaying the TCP processing of the second packet by the device until receiving the third signal at the device.

13. A method for data communication by a computer that is coupled to a network by an interface device, the method comprising:

establishing a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection by the computer;

sending a first command from the computer to the device, including indicating an intention to transfer control of the TCP connection from the computer to the device;

sending a response to the first command from the device to the computer, including identifying the TCP connection in the response; and

sending a second command from the computer to the device in reply to the response and completing the transfer of control of the TCP connection from the computer to the device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising delaying the transfer of information corresponding to the TCP connection from the device to the computer, subsequent to sending the first command, until the second command has been received by the device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising delaying the transfer of information corresponding to the TCP connection from the computer to the device, subsequent to sending the first command, until the second command has been sent from the computer to the device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the first command from the computer to the device includes sending a context number corresponding to the TCP connection.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the first command from the computer to the device includes sending an Internet Protocol (IP) address and TCP ports corresponding to the TCP connection.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising establishing a provisional context corresponding to the TCP connection and controlled by the device responsive to the first command.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the first signal from the computer to the device includes sending a command from the computer to the device, including identifying the TCP connection in the command.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising transferring control of the TCP connection from the device to the computer.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling a TCP connection includes maintaining a context for the TCP connection.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the response includes indicating that the device is prepared to receive control of the TCP connection.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

TCP processing a first packet corresponding to the TCP connection by the computer, prior to sending the first command from the computer to the device; and

TCP processing a second packet corresponding to the TCP connection by the device, subsequent to sending the second command from the device to the computer.

24. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

delaying the TCP processing of the second packet by the device until receiving the second command at the device.

25. A method for data communication by first and second devices that are coupled to a network, the method comprising:

controlling a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection by the first device;

sending a first signal from the first device to the second device, the first signal indicating an intention to transfer control of the TCP connection from the first device to the second device;

responding to the first signal by the second device, including sending a second signal from the second device to the first device, the second signal identifying the TCP connection; and

responding to the second signal by the first device, including sending a third signal from the first device to the second device to complete the transfer of control of the TCP connection from the first device to the second device.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising indicating, by the second signal, that the second device is prepared to receive control of the TCP connection.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising delaying the transfer of information corresponding to the TCP connection from the second device to the first device, subsequent to sending the first signal, until the third signal has been received by the second device.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising delaying the transfer of information corresponding to the TCP connection from the first device to the second device, subsequent to sending the first signal, until the third signal has been sent from the first device to the second device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein sending the first signal from the first device to the second device includes sending a context number corresponding to the TCP connection.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein sending the first signal from the first device to the second device includes sending an Internet Protocol (IP) address and TCP ports corresponding to the TCP connection.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein responding to the first signal by the second device includes establishing a provisional context corresponding to the TCP connection and controlled by the second device.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein sending the first signal from the first device to the second device includes sending a command from the first device to the second device, including identifying the TCP connection in the command.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising transferring control of the TCP connection from the second device to the first device.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein controlling a TCP connection includes maintaining a context for the TCP connection.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising establishing the TCP connection by the first device, prior to sending the first signal from the first device to the second device.

36. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

TCP processing a first packet corresponding to the TCP connection by the first device, prior to sending the first signal from the first device to the second device; and

TCP processing a second packet corresponding to the TCP connection by the second device, subsequent to sending the third signal from the first device to the second device.

37. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

delaying the TCP processing of the second packet by the second device until receiving the third signal at the second device.

38. A system for network communication, the system comprising:

a device coupled between a computer and a network to receive from the computer a Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connection, to receive from the network at least one packet associated with the TCP connection and to process a TCP header for the at least one packet, the computer having a memory storing instructions to pass the TCP connection to the device in first and second commands, the second command responsive to an indication from the device that the device is prepared to receive the TCP connection.