Method and system for transmission control protocol (TCP) traffic smoothing

• US 7,643,420 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agarwal, Puneet, Kwan, Bruce H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong; Frank
• Application Number:
  US11/187,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/235
• 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 47/22 Traffic shaping

Abstract

Various aspects of a method and system for transmission control protocol (TCP) traffic smoothing are presented. Traffic smoothing may comprise a method for controlling data transmission in a communications system that further comprises scheduling the timing of transmission of information from a TCP offload engine (TOE) based on a traffic profile. Traffic smoothing may comprise transmitting information from a TOE at a rate that is either greater than, approximately equal to, or less than, the rate at which the information was generated. Some conventional network interface cards (NIC) that utilize TOEs may not provide a mechanism that enables traffic shaping. By not providing a mechanism for traffic shaping, there may be a greater probability of lost packets in the network.

Claims

1. A method for controlling data transmission in a communications system, the method comprising:

scheduling timing of transmission of information from a TCP offload engine based on a traffic profile, wherein said scheduling comprises transmitting said information at a rate that is one of;

greater than a rate at which said information was generated, approximately equal to a rate at which said information was generated, and less than a rate at which said information was generated; and

decreasing a token count based on said transmitting information.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising increasing said token count based on a determined rate.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising setting a maximum value for said token count.

4. The method according to claim 2, comprising determining whether to suspend or transmit a current packet based on a current value of said token count.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said scheduled timing of transmission is based on one or both of:

a class of service, and at least one information flow.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said information flow comprises one or more of:

a protocol, a source address, a destination address, a source port, and a destination port and at least one header field associated with higher layer protocols layers 5 through 7 of the OSI protocol reference model.

7. A system for controlling data transmission in a communications system, the system comprising:

one or more processors that are communicatively coupled to a memory and a TCP offload engine, wherein said one or more processors are operable to schedule timing of transmission of information from said TCP offload engine based on a traffic profile, wherein said scheduling comprises transmitting said information at a rate that is one of;

greater than a rate at which said information was generated, approximately equal to a rate at which said information was generated, and less than a rate at which said information was generated, wherein said one or more processors is operable to decrease a token count based on said transmitting information.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said one or more processors is operable to increase said token count based on a determined rate.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said one or more processors is operable to set a maximum value for said token count.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said one or more processors is operable to determine whether to suspend or transmit a current packet based on a current value of said token count.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein said scheduled timing of transmission is based on one or both of:

a class of service, and at least one information flow.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said information flow comprises one or more of:

a protocol, a source address, a destination address, a source port, and a destination port.

13. A computer readable medium having stored thereon, a computer program having:

at least one code section for controlling data transmission in a communications system, the at least one code section being executable by a computer for causing the computer to perform steps comprising;

scheduling timing of transmission of information from a TCP offload engine based on a traffic profile;

code for transmitting said information at a rate that is one of;

greater than a rate at which said information was generated, approximately equal to a rate at which said information was generated, and less than a rate at which said information was generated; and

code for decreasing a token count based on said transmitting information.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising code for increasing said token count based on a determined rate.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising code for setting a maximum value for said token count.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising code for determining whether to suspend or transmit a current packet based on a current value of said token count.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein said scheduled timing of transmission is based on one or both of:

a class of service, and at least one information flow.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, wherein said information flow comprises one or more of:

a protocol, a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port and at least one header field associated with higher layer protocols layers 5 through 7 of the OSI protocol reference model.