Enhancements for TCP performance enhancing proxies

• US 6,975,647 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advantech Satellite Networks Inc.
• Original Assignee: EMS Technologies Canada Ltd. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Mohsen, Abdul-Kader, Neale, Jason, Pether, Andrew M., Begin, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US10/292,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20030123481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 370/315, 370/316, 370/389, 370/465, 370/466, 370/467, 370/349, 370/401, 370/392, 370/394, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/233, 709/234, 709/238, 709/295
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18582 Arrangements for data linking, i.e. for data framing, for error recovery, for multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1832 Details of sliding window management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• 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 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/323 Discarding or blocking control packets, e.g. ACK packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0273 : adapting protocols for flow control or congestion control to wireless environment, e.g. adapting transmission control protocol [TCP] wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation, e.g. wireless application protocol H04W80/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 : Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/06 : Airborne or Satellite Networks space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185

Abstract

A method and system is presented for the bi-directional transfer of data packets over a TCP communications system that can comprise both terrestrial and satellite links, using an enhanced flight protocol that, transparently to the end users, replaces the TCP over the congested satellite link portion of the system that accelerates the data delivery between end users and improves reliability of the data packet transmission. The invention eliminates the conventional TCP 3-way handshake and other associated time-delay procedures and replaces them with an improved use of performance enhancing proxies at either end of the satellite link that use a unique acknowledgement methods, data buffer storage and packet header field arrangement among the design features of a flight protocol method and system that accelerates data packet transfer with more efficient link capacity use and greater data throughput.

Claims

1. A method for sending and receiving data packets over a communications system using a transmission control protocol (TCP), said method comprising the steps of:

replacing a segment of the communications system with a middle communications link operating under a flight protocol with a premise that a connection will be created successfully across the middle communications link;

maintaining TCP connections at a first end point and a second end point of the communications system and beginning to receive data packets from the first endpoint independent of a pre-data agreement from the second endpoint;

converting the data packets sent over the first endpoint from TCP to said flight protocol;

transmitting the converted data packets from a first end of the middle communications link using the flight protocol;

receiving the data packets at a second end of the middle communications link;

reconverting the data packets from the flight protocol to the TCP, wherein all non-TCP data, all non-TCP related Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) data, and all encrypted TCP data sent from the first endpoint pass through the middle communications link without being modified;

transmitting one or more acknowledgement packets from the second end to the first end of the middle communications link; and

sending the data packets in the TCP to the second endpoint of the communications system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein data packets that are not converted are delayed passing through the middle communications link such that there is zero relative delay between arrival of converted and unconverted packets at said second endpoint.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting step further comprises adjusting the communications system to changes in a forward rate capacity by varying a data rate within the middle communications link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said maintaining step further comprises adjusting to changes in a forward rate capacity of the communication system by varying a rate of TCP acknowledgements sent from said middle communications link back over the first endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step further comprises assigning a sequential flight protocol packet number to each said converted data packet.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the receiving step further comprises storing all flight protocol packets that have been received without corruption but which do not extend the effective left edge of a flight protocol receive window.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said replacing step further comprises establishing two separate simplex flight protocol connections in said middle communications link wherein each of said simplex connections may be torn down independently.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said converting step further comprises:

filtering ICMP messages from the data packets; and

reacting to the ICMP messages.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of reacting to the ICMP messages comprises:

acting upon a path maximum transmission unit (MTU) discovery message by reducing a path MTU estimate of a terminal end of said middle communications system before resending any data packet that is reduced in size to conform the new path MTU;

acting upon a destination unreachable message by causing an end to end connection tear-down for connections that have not been correctly established or by attempting to resend the data packet from the terminal end of said middle communications link for established connections;

acting upon a source quench message by causing the converting step to slow start;

acting upon a parameter problem code by performing an end-to-end connection abort;

acting upon a time exceeded code by resending the affected data packets; and

allowing other ICMP messages to pass to an ultimate destination.

10. A method for sending and receiving data packets over a communications system using a transmission control protocol (TCP), said method comprising the steps of:

replacing a segment of the communications system with a middle communications link operating under a flight protocol with a premise that a connection will be created successfully across the middle communications link;

maintaining TCP connections at a first end point and a second end point of the communications system and beginning to receive data packets from the first endpoint independent of a pre-data agreement from the second endpoint;

converting the data packets sent over the first endpoint from TCP to said flight protocol;

transmitting the converted data packets from a first end of the middle communications link using the flight protocol;

receiving the data packets at a second end of the middle communications link;

reconverting the data packets from the flight protocol to the TCP;

transmitting one or more acknowledgement packets from the second end to the first end of the middle communications link; and

sending the data packets in the TCP to the second endpoint of the communications system;

wherein the replacing step further comprises splitting an encapsulation of a virtual private network (VPN) packet so that VPN user space exists at a service provider that manages the VPN and placing a receiving end of said middle communications link and network address translators (NAT) at the service provider.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said replacing step further comprises:

placing a first VPN device nearest to a first end of said encrypted tunnel;

placing said first end of said middle communications link next to said first VPN device;

placing a first NAT next to said first end of said middle communications link furthest from said encrypted tunnel;

placing a second VPN device nearest to a second end of said encrypted tunnel;

placing said second end of said middle communications link next to said second VPN device; and

placing a second NAT next to said second end of said middle communications link furthest from said encrypted tunnel.

12. A method for sending and receiving data packets over a communications system using a transmission control protocol (TCP), said method comprising the steps of:

replacing a segment of the communications system with a middle communications link operating under a flight protocol with a premise that a connection will be created successfully across the middle communications link;

maintaining TCP connections at a first end point and a second end point of the communications system and beginning to receive data packets from the first endpoint independent of a pre-data agreement from the second endpoint;

converting the data packets sent over the first endpoint from TCP to said flight protocol;

transmitting the converted data packets from a first end of the middle communications link using the flight protocol;

receiving the data packets at a second end of the middle communications link;

reconverting the data packets from the flight protocol to the TCP;

transmitting one or more acknowledgement packets from the second end to the first end of the middle communications link; and

sending the data packets in the TCP to the second endpoint of the communications system;

wherein said maintaining step further comprises calculating an additional overhead from TCP and other Internet protocol headers;

choosing a TCP maximum segment size that avoids fragmentation and occupies fully a whole number of link layer payload units in said middle communications system; and

communicating said maximum segment size over the first and second endpoint of said communications system.

13. A method for sending and receiving data packets over a middle communications link of a TCP communications system, comprising the steps of:

passing data packets to a first emulator wherein said emulator emulates a receive side of a TCP connection and wherein said emulator translates said data packets from TCP to a flight protocol;

transmitting connected data packets over the middle communications link on the basis of information received from a capacity prediction algorithm;

storing copies of the transmitted packets at said first emulator and time-stamping the transmitted data packets;

receiving the transmitted data packets at a second emulator;

storing each of said received transmitted data packets in a reassembly buffer if the received transmitted data packet does not complete a continuous sequence of all the received transmitted data packets transmitted before it in said middle communications link;

retrieving previously stored data packets from said reassembly buffer if the last received data packet completes a contiguous sequence

sending acknowledgements of successfully received data packets from the second emulator to the first emulator;

deleting or retransmitting stored packets depending upon acknowledgements received at the first emulator; and

passing said transmitted data packets from a second emulator wherein said second emulator translates from said flight protocol to TCP and wherein said second emulator emulates a transmit side of the TCP connection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first emulator uses secure initial sequence number generation, to reduce security risks.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising methods to mitigate at least one of synchronize packet (SYN) flood attacks and fragmentation attacks.

16. A method for sending and receiving data packets over a middle communications link of a TCP communications system, comprising the steps of:

passing data packets to a first emulator wherein said emulator emulates a receive side of a TCP connection and wherein said emulator translates said data packets from TCP to a flight protocol;

transmitting connected data packets over the middle communications link on the basis of Information received from a capacity prediction algorithm;

storing copies of the transmitted packets at said first emulator and time-stamping the transmitted data packets;

receiving the transmitted data packets at a second emulator;

sending acknowledgements of successfully received data packets from the second emulator to the first emulator;

deleting or retransmitting stored packets depending upon acknowledgements received at the first emulator; and

passing said transmitted data packets from a second emulator wherein said second emulator translates from said flight protocol to TCP and wherein said second emulator emulates a transmit side of the TCP connection;

wherein said sending acknowledgements step comprises the steps of piggy-backing acknowledgment packets on flight protocol data sent on a return link if there is data that needs to be transmitted on the return link;

sending a single “

stretch”

acknowledgment to acknowledge all the flight protocol data packets that arrived during a particular time interval if there is a sequence of uncorrupted flight protocol packets of a predetermined length that is not missing any packets and no data needs to be transmitted on the return link; and

sending a data-less acknowledgment if a predetermined number of flight protocol packets is corrupted or missing and no data needs to be transmitted on the return link.

17. A middle communications segment in a TCP communications system, comprising:

a first emulator to simulate a standard TCP connection at a first end of said TCP communications system wherein said first emulator simulates end-to-end pre-data agreement with said first end and begins receiving data independent of a pre-data agreement from the terminal end of said TCP communications system and wherein all non-TCP data, all non-TCP related Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) data, and all encrypted TCP data sent from the first end pass through the middle communications segment without being modified;

an algorithm to convert data packets from TCP to a flight protocol;

a first buffer to store said data packets until acknowledgements for the data packets have been received from the receiving end of said middle communications link;

an algorithm to transmit flight protocol data packets over said middle communications link;

an algorithm to receive said flight protocol data packets at a receiving end of said middle communications link;

an algorithm to acknowledge receipt of said data packets that are received at the receiving end of said middle communications system;

a second buffer to store a received flight protocol data packet at the receiving end of said middle communications link until all of the flight protocol data packets transmitted before said received packet have also been successfully received;

an algorithm to reconvert data packets from said flight protocol to TCP; and

a second emulator to simulate a standard TCP connection at a second end of said TCP communications system, wherein said second emulator simulates end-to-end pre-data agreement with said second end of said TCP communications system.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising an algorithm to vary the transfer rate within said middle communications link to adjust to capacity changes in a forward direction of said communications system.

19. An enhanced performance enhancing proxy (PEP) system for transferring data between a client and a server using TCP over a wireless communication link, comprising:

a gateway PEP, further including a first TCP emulator and a first flight protocol processor to transparently interrupt a TCP data transmission from the client to the server, to translate TCP data packets into flight protocol packets; and

a terminal PEP further including a second TCP emulator and a second flight protocol processor to receive the flight protocol data packets, to convert the flight protocol packets back to TCP data packets, and to transmit them over a new TCP connection to the server, wherein transfer of data packets between the gateway PEP and the terminal PEP are initiated without conducting a pre-data handshake and acknowledgement packets are sent from the terminal PEP to the gateway PEP wherein all non-TCP data, non-TCP related Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) data, and all encrypted TCP data sent from the gateway PEP pass through the wireless communication link without being modified.