RELIABLE PACKET DELIVERY WITH OVERLAY NETWORK (RPDON)

• US 20130188471A1
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vasseur, Jean-Philippe, Bade, Kalyan, Mahamuni, Atul B., Barrett, Carol
• Granted Patent: US 9,391,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0086 Unequal error protection H04L27/00 and H04L1/004 take precedence for layer 1/2 aspects, e.g. bit loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1838 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications such as streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream receiver H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/30 Routing of multiclass traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic

Abstract

In one embodiment, a device in a computer network establishes a reliable map that defines a set of packet criteria for which reliability is desired over an unreliable link to a peer device. In response to receiving a first packet from the peer device over the unreliable link, the device acknowledges the first packet to the peer device when the first packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map. Also, in response to receiving a second packet destined via the peer device over the unreliable link, the device buffers the second packet when the second packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map and retransmits the buffered second packet over the unreliable link to the peer device until acknowledged by the peer device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a reliable map that defines a set of packet criteria for which reliability is desired over an unreliable link to a peer device;

in response to receiving a first packet from the peer device over the unreliable link, acknowledging the first packet to the peer device when the first packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map; and

in response to receiving a second packet destined via the peer device over the unreliable link, buffering the second packet when the second packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map and retransmitting the buffered second packet over the unreliable link to the peer device until acknowledged by the peer device.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a heartbeat signal with the peer device; and

in response to determining that the heartbeat signal is lost to indicate that the unreliable link is down, ceasing retransmission of the buffered second packet while the unreliable link is down.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein acknowledging the first packet to the peer device comprises:

sending a message having flow information of the first packet.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein acknowledging the first packet to the peer device comprises:

batching acknowledgments for a plurality of packets from the peer device that match the packet criteria of the reliable map; and

sending a single message for the batched acknowledgments.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein retransmitting comprises:

retransmitting the second packet repeatedly based on a back-off timer.

6. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the reliable map in response to network conditions.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein one or more packet criteria of the reliable map are configured to be applied for a set period of time.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein an originating device of the second packet is configured to include a flow identifier (ID) within the second packet based on one or more packet criteria, and wherein the second packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map based on the flow ID.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein one or more packet criteria of the reliable map are based on deep packet inspection.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein one or more packet criteria of the reliable map are based on one or more criteria selected from a group consisting of:

a source prefix;

a destination prefix;

a protocol; and

a port.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of packets that match the packet criteria of the reliable map are buffered and retransmitted, and wherein the retransmitting of the plurality of packets allows for the packets of the plurality of packets to be transmitted out-of-order.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the unreliable link utilizes a user datagram protocol (UDP) for packet transmission.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface to communicate over an unreliable link with a peer device;

one or more network interfaces to communicate with other devices not over the unreliable link;

a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to;

establish a reliable map that defines a set of packet criteria for which reliability is desired over the unreliable link to the peer device;

receive a first packet from the peer device over the unreliable link;

acknowledge the first packet to the peer device when the first packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map;

receive a second packet destined via the peer device over the unreliable link;

buffer the second packet when the second packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map; and

retransmit the buffered second packet over the unreliable link to the peer device until acknowledged by the peer device.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

monitor a heartbeat signal with the peer device; and

determine that the heartbeat signal is lost to indicate that the unreliable link is down; and

cease retransmission of the buffered second packet while the unreliable link is down.

15. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the process when executed to acknowledge the first packet to the peer device is further operable to:

send a message having flow information of the first packet.

16. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the process when executed to acknowledge the first packet to the peer device is further operable to:

batch acknowledgments for a plurality of packets from the peer device that match the packet criteria of the reliable map; and

send a single message for the batched acknowledgments.

17. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the process when executed to retransmit is further operable to:

retransmit the second packet repeatedly based on a back-off timer.

18. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the process when executed is further operable to:

modify the reliable map in response to network conditions.

19. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein one or more packet criteria of the reliable map are configured to be applied for a set period of time.

20. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein an originating device of the second packet is configured to include a flow identifier (ID) within the second packet based on one or more packet criteria, and wherein the second packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map based on the flow ID.

21. The apparatus as in claim 13, wherein one or more packet criteria of the reliable map are based on deep packet inspection performed by the process.

22. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media having software encoded thereon, the software when executed by a processor operable to:

establish a reliable map that defines a set of packet criteria for which reliability is desired over an unreliable link to a peer device;

receive a first packet from the peer device over the unreliable link;

acknowledge the first packet to the peer device when the first packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map;

receive a second packet destined via the peer device over the unreliable link;

buffer the second packet when the second packet matches the packet criteria of the reliable map; and

retransmit the buffered second packet over the unreliable link to the peer device until acknowledged by the peer device.