Selectively enabling network packet concatenation based on metrics

• US 7,873,065 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mukerji, Arindum, Rothstein, Jesse Abraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang; Weibin
• Application Number:
  US11/344,687
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/235, 370/238, 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/395.4, 370/395.42, 709/201, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/246
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/365 Dynamic adaptation of the packet size
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are directed towards selectively concatenating data into a packet to modify a number of packets transmitted over a network based on a combination of network and/or send-queue metrics. In one embodiment, Nagle'"'"'s algorithm is used for concatenating data into a packet. The concatenation may be selectively enabled based on heuristics applied to the combination of metrics. In one embodiment, the result may indicate that there should be a concatenation, or that data should be sent immediately, or that a current state for whether to concatenate or not should be maintained. The heuristics may include an expert system, decision tree, truth table, function, or the like. The heuristics may be provided by a user, or another computing device. In another embodiment, the concatenation may be enabled based on a conditional probability determined from the combination of metrics.

Claims

1. A network device for communicating data over a network, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions comprising;

determining at least one metric, wherein at least one of the metrics is based on a comparison of a time data spends in a send-queue when concatenation is performed on the data to another time when other data spends in the send-queue in absence of concatenation of data;

receiving a first packet of data for transmission over the network;

selectively concatenating data of the first packet with data of a subsequently received second packet at least partly based on the at least one metric; and

sending the data of the concatenated packet.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein selectively concatenating the data further comprises selectively sending the first packet of data over the network prior to receiving the second packet.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein selectively concatenating the data further comprises:

buffering the data of the first packet until the data of the second packet is received; and

generating a network packet using the buffered data and the data of the second packet.

4. The network device of claim 1, further comprising selectively delaying sending the data of the first packet over the network.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein selectively concatenating the data further comprises terminating concatenation of data, if a timeout is reached.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein selectively concatenating the data further comprises selectively applying Nagle'"'"'s algorithm to concatenate the data.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein selectively concatenating the data further comprises:

selectively buffering the concatenated data until a third packet of data is received and

concatenating the data of the third packet with the buffered data.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein sending the data of the first packet further comprises, sending the data if a latency metric is above a latency threshold and a bandwidth metric is above a bandwidth threshold.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein sending the data of the first packet further comprises sending the data as concatenated data based on a heuristic indicating that the data is to be sent immediately.

10. The network device of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric further comprises a bandwidth metric, a latency metric, and a packet loss metric.

11. The network device of claim 1, wherein sending the data further comprises sending the first packet absent concatenation.

12. The network device of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric comprises a network metric.

13. The network device of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric further comprises a depth of the send queue.

14. The network device of claim 1, wherein the at least one metric comprises a send queue metric and at least one metric selected from the group consisting bandwidth, latency, and packet loss.

15. A method useable in communicating data over a network, comprising:

determining at least one metric that includes a send-queue metric that is based on a comparison of a depth of a send-queue when concatenation of data is performed to another depth of the send-queue in absence of concatenation of data;

receiving a first packet of data for transmission over the network;

selectively combining data of the first packet with data of a second packet at least partly based on the at least one metric, and if a combination of a latency metric and a bandwidth metric is above a threshold; and

sending the selectively combined data over the network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selectively combining the data further comprises:

combining the data if the bandwidth metric is below a bandwidth threshold or the latency metric is below a latency threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein selectively combining the data further comprises using at least one of an expert system, decision tree, truth table, or a function.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein selectively combining the data further comprises at least one of enabling Nagle'"'"'s algorithm, of disabling Nagle'"'"'s algorithm, or of maintaining a current state of Nagle'"'"'s algorithm.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

performing at least one of encryption or compression on the combined data prior to sending the combined data over the network.

20. A computer readable storage medium configured to include program instructions for performing the method of claim 15.

21. A network device for communicating data over a network, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions comprising;

determining at least one metric that comprises a send-queue metric, wherein the send-queue metric is based on a comparison of a time data spends in a send-queue when concatenation of data is performed to another time another data spends in the send-queue in an absence of concatenation of data;

receiving data; and

selectively combining the received data with other data into a network packet based in part on the at least one metric.

22. The network device of claim 21, wherein the at least one metric further comprises a network metric is based on at least one of a qualitative or a numeric measure of round trip time (RTT), bandwidth, maximum segment size (MSS), type of application level protocol utilized, latency, packet loss, jitter, or quality of service.

23. The network device of claim 21, wherein the send-queue metric is based on at least one of a qualitative or a numeric measure of time data spends in a send-queue, or a depth of the send-queue.

24. The network device of claim 21, wherein the send-queue metric is based on a comparison of a depth of a send-queue when concatenation of data is performed to another depth of the send-queue in an absence of concatenation of data.

25. The network device of claim 21, wherein the metric is based on a type of network connection between the network device and another device.

26. The network device of claim 21, wherein selectively combining the data further comprises combining the data based on a conditional probability determined from a combination of the at least one metrics.

27. An apparatus for communicating over a network comprising:

a processor that is operative to perform actions comprising;

determining at least one metric that is a send-queue metric based on a comparison of a depth of a send-queue when concatenation of data is performed to another depth of the send-queue in an absence of concatenation of data;

receiving a first packet of data for transmission over the network; and

means for selectively combining data of the first packet with data of a second packet at least partly based on the at least one metric.

28. A network device for communicating data over a network, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over the network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions comprising;

determining at least one metric, wherein at least one of the metrics is based on a comparison of a time data spends in a send-queue when concatenation is performed on the data to another time when other data spends in the send-queue in absence of concatenation of data;

receiving data;

selectively coalescing the received data with other data into a network packet based in part on the at least one metric; and

sending the coalesced data, if a latency metric is above a latency threshold and a bandwidth metric is above a bandwidth threshold.

29. The network device of claim 28, wherein selectively coalescing the data further comprises selectively concatenating the data.

30. The network device of claim 28, wherein selectively coalescing the data further comprises selectively delaying sending the received data over the network for a time period, based in part on the at least one metric.

31. The network device of claim 28, wherein selectively coalescing the data further comprises selectively modifying a time period for sending the data, based in part on the at least one metric.

32. The network device of claim 31, wherein selectively modifying a time period includes selectively reducing the time period or selectively extending the time period.