Systems, methods, and computer program products for establishing TCP connections using information from closed TCP connections in time-wait state

• US 5,978,849 A
• Filed: 06/13/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Khanna, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D
• Application Number:
  US08/874,705
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.57, 395/200.58, 395/200.66, 395/200.67, 709/227, 709/230, 709/228, 709/236, 709/237, 370/431, 370/438
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products facilitate establishing a TCP connection between a client and a server utilizing a control block associated with a previous connection between the client and the server wherein the previous connection is in TIME-WAIT state.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a TCP connection between a client and a server, wherein the TCP connection comprises a client connection end and a server connection end, and wherein a connection end for the client is defined by a first Internet protocol (IP) address and a first port number, and wherein a connection end for the server is defined by a second IP address and a second port number, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving a request from the client to the server to establish the TCP connection;

delaying creation of a socket control block, an Internet control block (INPCB), and a TCP control block (TCPCB) for the requested connection;

locating a TCP connection having a server end in TIME-WAIT state, wherein the server end is defined by the second IP address and the second port number;

changing the located server end from TIME-WAIT state to established state; and

using TCP connection information within a TCPCB associated with the located server end to establish the TCP connection between the client and the server.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using a TCP congestion window associated with the located server end, wherein the TCP congestion window has a post-startup size.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using TCP slow-start information associated with the located server end.

4. A computer program product for establishing a TCP connection between a client and a server, wherein the TCP connection comprises a client connection end and a server connection end, and wherein a connection end for the client is defined by a first Internet protocol (IP) address and a first port number, and wherein a connection end for the server is defined by a second IP address and a second port number, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable code means for receiving a request from the client to the server to establish the TCP connection;

computer readable code means for delaying creation of a socket control block, an Internet control block (INPCB), and a TCP control block (TCPCB) for the requested connection;

computer readable code means for locating a TCP connection having a server end in TIME-WAIT state, wherein the server end is defined by the second IP address and the second port number;

computer readable code means for changing the located server end from TIME-WAIT state to established state; and

computer readable code means for using TCP connection information within an TCPCB associated with the located server end to establish the TCP connection between the client and the server.

5. A computer program product according to claim 4, further comprising computer readable program code means for using a TCP congestion window associated with the located server end, wherein the TCP congestion window has a post-startup size.

6. A computer program product according to claim 4, further comprising computer readable code means for using TCP slow-start information associated with the located server end.

7. A data processing system for establishing a TCP connection between a client and a server, wherein the TCP connection comprises a client connection end and a server connection end, and wherein a connection end for the client is defined by a first Internet protocol (IP) address and a first port number, and wherein a connection end for the server is defined by a second IP address and a second port number, said data processing system comprising:

means for receiving a request from the client to the server to establish the TCP connection;

means for delaying creation of a socket control block, an Internet control block (INPCB), and a TCP control block (TCPCB) for the requested connection;

means for locating a TCP connection having a server end in TIME-WAIT state, wherein the server end is defined by the second IP address and the second port number;

means for chancing the located server end from TIME-WAIT state to established state; and

means for using TCP connection information within a TCPCB associated with the located server end to establish the TCP connection between the client and the server.

8. A data processing system according to claim 7, further comprising means for using a TCP congestion window associated with the located server end, wherein the TCP congestion window has a post-startup size.

9. A data processing system according to claim 7, further comprising means for using TCP slow-start information associated with the located server end.