Method and apparatus to manage packet fragmentation

• US 7,292,530 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Christensen, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Wellington
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hyun; Soon D.
• Application Number:
  US09/752,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/392, 370/395.1, 370/395.43, 370/465, 370/468, 370/470, 370/473, 370/229, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/232, 370/233, 370/234, 370/235
• US Class Current: 370/230.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/43 Assembling or disassembling of packets, e.g. segmentation and reassembly [SAR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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 69/166 IP fragmentation; TCP segmentation

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and apparatus to improve network performance by managing packet fragmentation are described.

Claims

1. A method to manage packet fragmentation, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet, with said operating parameter to represent a priority level;

determining an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, with said operating status to comprise active or de-active;

performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status; and

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority level is high and said operating status is active.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority level is low and said operating status is de-active.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining an operating status for said operating parameter, comprises:

determining said operating status substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said operating parameter is a high priority level, said high priority level was determined within said time period, and said operating status is active.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said operating parameter is a low priority level, said low priority level having been determined within said time period, and said operating status is de-active.

7. A method to manage packet fragmentation, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet;

determining an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, with said operating status to comprise active or de-active;

performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status;

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period; and

wherein said determining an operating parameter comprises;

receiving said packet with an operating parameter identifier; and

retrieving said operating parameter identifier from said packet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said operating parameter identifier represents a priority level for said packet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said operating parameter identifier comprises an operating parameter identifier to comprise a differential services code byte, a real time protocol identifier, a voice over Internet Protocol identifier or a voice information identifier.

10. A method to manage packet fragmentation, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet, wherein said operating parameter comprises an operating parameter identifier to comprise a time, a date or a time and date;

determining an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, with said operating status to comprise active or de-active;

performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status; and

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining an operating parameter comprises:

searching for said operating parameter; and

retrieving said operating status associated with said retrieved operating parameter.

12. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in determining an operating parameter for at least one packet, determining an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status by setting said operating status to activate packet fragmentation, and wherein said determining said operating status is performed by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period.

13. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in determining an operating parameter for at least one packet, determining an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status by setting said operating status to deactivate packet fragmentation, and wherein said determining said operating status is performed by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period.

14. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in determining an operating parameter for at least one packet, determining an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, performing packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status, and wherein said determining said operating status is performed by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and determining said operating status substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

15. A system comprising:

a computer platform to manage packet fragmentation;

said platform to determine an operating parameter for at least one packet, determine an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, perform packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status, to determine said operating status by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and to set an operating status to activate packet fragmentation.

16. A system comprising:

a computer platform to manage packet fragmentation;

said platform to determine an operating parameter for at least one packet, determine an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, perform packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status, to determine said operating status by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and to set an operating status to deactivate packet fragmentation.

17. A system comprising:

a computer platform to manage packet fragmentation;

said platform to determine an operating parameter for at least one packet, determine an operating status to be set in accordance with said operating parameter, perform packet fragmentation substantially in accordance with said operating status, to determine said operating status by evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and to determine said operating status substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

18. A method to perform packet fragmentation, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet;

determining a packet fragment size using said operating parameter;

performing packet fragmentation for said packet using said packet fragment size, wherein said operating parameter comprises a priority level; and

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said packet fragment size decreases as said priority level increases.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said packet fragment size increases as said priority level decreases.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining comprises:

determining said packet fragment size substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

22. A method to perform packet fragmentation, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet;

determining a packet fragment size using said operating parameter;

performing packet fragmentation for said packet using said packet fragment size, wherein said at least one operating parameter comprises a connection speed and priority level; and

evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said packet fragment size increases within a priority level as said connection speed increases.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said packet fragment size decreases within a priority level as said connection speed decreases.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said determining said packet fragment size comprises:

determining said packet fragment size in accordance with said evaluation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said operating parameter is a high priority level, said high priority level was determined within said time period, and said operating status is active.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said operating parameter is a low priority level, said low priority level having been determined within said time period, and said operating status is de-active.

28. A method, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet;

determining a packet fragment size using said operating parameter;

performing packet fragmentation for said packet using said packet fragment size,

wherein said operating parameter comprises a priority level; and

wherein said packet fragment size decreases as said priority level increases;

wherein said determining comprises evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and determining said packet fragment size substantially in accordance with said evaluation.

29. A method, comprising:

determining an operating parameter for a packet;

determining a packet fragment size using said operating parameter;

performing packet fragmentation for said packet using said packet fragment size,

wherein said operating parameter comprises a priority level; and

wherein said packet fragment size increases as said priority level decreases;

wherein said determining comprises evaluating whether said operating parameter has been determined within a limited time period, and determining said packet fragment size substantially in accordance with said evaluation.