Network system with TCP/IP ACK reduction

• US 6,338,131 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2000
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dillon, Douglas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US09/562,469
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 712/25, 712/27, 712/26, 712/18, 712/200, 712/230, 712/28, 712/29, 712/30, 712/31, 712/201, 370/400, 370/412, 370/2, 370/389, 370/300, 370/318, 370/460, 370/401, 370/351, 370/218, 370/395, 370/413, 370/230, 370/231, 370/232, 370/234, 370/235, 370/236, 370/466, 370/40, 711/133, 711/113, 711/154, 711/159, 709/232, 709/250, 709/249, 709/246, 709/215, 709/218, 709/214, 709/216, 709/233, 709/217, 709/234, 709/235, 709/236, 709/237, 710/33, 710/34, 710/35, 710/54, 710/50, 710/56, 710/57, 710/61, 710/129
• US Class Current: 712/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18591 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/803 Application aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/824 Applicable to portable or mobile terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/825 Involving tunnels, e.g. MPLS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/829 Topology based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• 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 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 : specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A system in which a personal computer sends messages into a TCP/IP network using a conventional dial-up link and downloads data from the TCP/IP network using a high-speed one-way satellite link. A preferred embodiment uses a conventional SLIP provider to connect to the TCP/IP network and uses a commercial software TCP/IP package that has a standard driver interface. A spoofing protocol compensates for the long propagation delays inherent to satellite communication.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

queuing means for queuing a TCP ACK packet in a queue of packets to be sent on a TCP connection; and

deleting means for deleting from the queue a TCP ACK packet having a sequence number lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said queuing means, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packet having a sequence number lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said queuing means from being sent on the TCP connection.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deleting means deletes from the queue all TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said queuing means, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said queuing means from being sent on the TCP connection.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises a satellite receiver, and

wherein the TCP packet which the TCP ACK packet acknowledges is received by said satellite receiver.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the TCP connection uses a dialup connection.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a queue for packets to be sent on a TCP connection; and

a packet deleter that is configured to delete from said queue a TCP ACK packet having a sequence number lower than a predetermined number, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packet having a sequence number lower than the predetermined number from being sent on the TCP connection.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said packet deleter is configured to delete from said queue all TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the predetermined number, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the predetermined number from being sent on the TCP connection.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined number is the sequence number of a TCP ACK packet queued on said queue.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said packet deleter is configured to delete from said queue all TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the predetermined number, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the predetermined number from being sent on the TCP connection.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said apparatus further comprises a satellite receiver, and

wherein the TCP packet which the TCP ACK packet acknowledges is received by said satellite receiver.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the TCP connection uses a dialup connection.

11. An apparatus comprising:

determining means for determining whether there are TCP ACK packets to be sent on a TCP connection, wherein each TCP ACK packet has a number associated therewith, whose numbers form a sequential run; and

deleting means for deleting from amongst the TCP ACK packets whose numbers form a sequential run, as determined by said determining means, a TCP ACK packet other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packet other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run from being sent on the TCP connection.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said deleting means deletes from amongst the TCP ACK packets whose numbers form a sequential run, as determined by said determining means, all TCP ACK packets other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run from being sent on the TCP connection.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the number is a sequence number.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said deleting means deletes from amongst the TCP ACK packets whose numbers form a sequential run, as determined by said determining means, all TCP ACK packets other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run from being sent on the TCP connection.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus further comprises a satellite receiver,

wherein TCP packets which the TCP ACK packets acknowledge are received by said satellite receiver.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the TCP connection uses a dialup connection.

17. A system comprising:

first and second apparatuses connectable to a network,

wherein said first apparatus comprises an ACK producer that is configured to generate an ACK packet addressed to said second apparatus in response to receipt of a packet from said second apparatus via the network, and

wherein said system is configured to prevent said second apparatus from receiving an ACK packet addressed to said second apparatus that is generated by said ACK producer of said first apparatus and that is superfluous because of use of a cumulative ACK scheme.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said system prevents said second apparatus from receiving a cumulative ACK packet by using an ACK eliminator in said first apparatus that is configured to delete the cumulative ACK packet to prevent the cumulative ACK packet from being sent from said first apparatus to said second apparatus.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein each ACK packet generated by said ACK producer has a number associated therewith, and

wherein said ACK eliminator deletes from a queue for packets to be sent from said first apparatus to said second apparatus an ACK packet having a number lower than that of a selected ACK packet, thereby eliminating the cumulative ACK packet.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein said ACK eliminator deletes from the queue for packets to be sent from said first apparatus to said second apparatus all ACK packets having numbers lower than that of the selected ACK packet, thereby eliminating cumulative ACK packets.

21. A system according to claim 19, wherein the number is a sequence number.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the sequence number is stored in the ACK packet.

23. A system according to claim 21, wherein said ACK eliminator deletes from the queue for packets to be sent from said first apparatus to said second apparatus all ACK packets having numbers lower than that of the selected ACK packet, thereby eliminating cumulative ACK packets.

24. A system according to claim 17, wherein the network is a TCP/IP network.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the ACK packet is a TCP ACK packet.

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein said receiver of said first apparatus receives the packet from said second apparatus via the network using a satellite receiver of said first apparatus.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein an ACK packet generated by said ACK producer that is sent to said second apparatus via the network is sent using a dialup connection to the network.

28. A system according to claim 17, wherein said ACK producer generates more ACK packets than are required by protocol.

29. A system according to claim 17, wherein said system prevents said second apparatus from receiving the cumulative ACK packet by effecting a change to a packet in said first apparatus waiting to be sent to said second apparatus.

30. A method comprising:

queuing a TCP ACK packet in a queue of packets to be sent on a TCP connection; and

deleting from the queue a TCP ACK packet having a sequence number lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued in said queuing step, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packet having a sequence number lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued in said queuing step from being sent on the TCP connection.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said deleting step deletes from the queue all TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued in said queuing step, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued in said queuing step from being sent on the TCP connection.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein the TCP packet which the TCP ACK packet acknowledges is received by a satellite receiver.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the TCP connection uses a dialup connection.

34. A method comprising:

determining whether there are TCP ACK packets to be sent on a TCP connection, wherein each TCP ACK packet has a number associated therewith, whose numbers form a sequential run; and

deleting from amongst the TCP ACK packets whose numbers form a sequential run, as determined by said determining means, a TCP ACK packet other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packet other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run from being sent on the TCP connection.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein said deleting step deletes from amongst the TCP ACK packets whose numbers form a sequential run, as determined by said determining step, all TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet from being sent on the TCP connection.

36. A method according to claim 34, wherein the number is a sequence number.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein said deleting step deletes from amongst the TCP ACK packets whose numbers could form a sequential run, as determined by said determining step, all TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet from being sent on the TCP connection.

38. A method according to claim 34, wherein TCP packets which the TCP ACK packets acknowledge are received by a satellite receiver.

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein the TCP connection uses a dialup connection.

40. A driver comprising:

a packet queuer that is configured to queue a TCP ACK packet in a queue of packets to be sent on a TCP connection; and

a deleter that is configured to delete from the queue a TCP ACK packet having sequence numbers lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said packet queuer, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packet having a sequence number lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said packet queuer from being sent on the TCP connection.

41. A driver according to claim 40, wherein said deleter is configured to delete from the queue all TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said packet queuer, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having sequence numbers lower than the sequence number of the TCP ACK packet queued by said packet queuer from being sent on the TCP connection.

42. A driver according to claim 40, wherein an apparatus that uses said driver comprises a satellite receiver, and

wherein the TCP packet which the TCP ACK packet acknowledges is received by said satellite receiver.

43. A driver according to claim 42, wherein the TCP ACK packet is sent on the TCP connection using a dialup connection.

44. A driver comprising:

a determiner that is configured to determine whether there are TCP ACK packets to be sent on a TCP connection, wherein each TCP ACK packet has a number associated therewith, whose numbers form a sequential run; and

a deleter that is configured to delete from amongst the TCP ACK packets whose numbers form a sequential run, as determined by said determining means, a TCP ACK packet other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packet other than the TCP ACK packet having the highest number in the sequential run from being sent on the TCP connection.

45. A driver according to claim 44, wherein said deleter is configured to delete from the queue all TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet from being sent on the TCP connection.

46. A driver according to claim 44, wherein the number is a sequence number.

47. A driver according to claim 46, wherein said deleter is configured to delete from the queue all TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet, so as to prevent the TCP ACK packets having numbers lower than the number of the TCP ACK packet from being sent on the TCP connection.

48. A driver according to claim 44, wherein an apparatus that uses said driver comprises a satellite receiver, and

wherein TCP packets which the TCP ACK packets acknowledge are received by the satellite receiver.

49. A driver according to claim 48, wherein the TCP connection uses a dialup connection.