Optimizing TCP traffic via an SCTP association

• US 20080205445A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Ming, Lei, Peter, Durazzo, Kenneth, Stewart, Randall, Kumar, Nipa
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/469
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) pre-configuring a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) association; (ii) receiving a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet in a network device, where the TCP packet is intended for a destination node; (iii) encapsulating the TCP packet into an SCTP payload; and (iv) transmitting the SCTP payload across a wide area network (WAN).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

pre-configuring a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) association;

receiving a transmission control protocol (TCP) packet in a network device, the TCP packet being intended for a destination node;

encapsulating the TCP packet into an SCTP payload; and

transmitting the SCTP payload across a wide area network (WAN).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the TCP packet in a packet service module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the TCP packet comprises using a local area network (LAN).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the TCP packet to a packet service module.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a teardown of the SCTP association.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the teardown removes half-open actions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending local acknowledgments in TCP.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising retransmitting only a dropped portion of data lost on the WAN.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) payload in a network device coupled to a wide area network (WAN), wherein the SCTP payload includes an encapsulation of a first transmission control protocol (TCP) packet, the first TCP packet being intended for a destination node;

de-encapsulating the SCTP payload; and

regenerating the first TCP packet for transmission to the destination node.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising de-encapsulating a second TCP packet from the SCTP payload.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second TCP packets include portions substantially transparent to a user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the portions comprise address and port designations.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a first interface configured to receive transmission control protocol (TCP) packets;

a circuit configured to encapsulate the TCP packets into stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) payloads; and

a second interface configured to transmit the SCTP payloads.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, comprising an intercept module and a packet service module, wherein the packet service module is configured to connect via TCP and SCTP connections to the intercept module, and via an SCTP connection to peer devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the packet service module comprises a filter, the filter being configured to select designated packets for encapsulation into SCTP.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the TCP packets include portions substantially transparent to a user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the portions comprise address and port designations.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a first interface configured to receive stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) payloads having encapsulated transmission control protocol (TCP) packets;

a circuit configured to de-encapsulate the SCTP payloads and regenerate the TCP packets; and

a second interface configured to transmit the TCP packets.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the TCP packets include portions substantially transparent to a user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the portions comprise address and port designations.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first interface is coupled to a wide area network (WAN), and the second interface is coupled to a local area network (LAN).

22. A means for optimizing transmission control protocol (TCP) traffic via a stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) association, the means comprising:

a means for pre-configuring the SCTP association;

a means for receiving a first TCP packet in a first network device, the first TCP packet being intended for a destination node;

a means for encapsulating the first TCP packet into an SCTP payload; and

a means for transmitting the SCTP payload across a wide area network (WAN).