Performance enhancing proxy and method for enhancing performance

• US 8,359,405 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2000
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Border, John, Butehorn, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US09/662,072
• Time in Patent Office: 4,513 Days
• Field of Search: 709224-227, 709/232, 709237-239, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2441 relying on flow classification, e.g. using integrated services [IntServ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/323 Discarding or blocking control packets, e.g. ACK packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• 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 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

Method and apparatus for enhancing the performance of a network. The performance enhancing functions described are applicable to a wide variety of communication links, including both slow and fast links, high latency links, and links with low and high error rates. The performance enhancing functions, which may be implemented either singly or in combination, include selective spoofing which allows flexible configuration of which connections should be spoofed, spoofing of the conventional TCP three-way handshake, local data acknowledgement, which allows data windows to increase at local speeds, multiplexing multiple connections across a single connection, data compression/encryption, prioritization, and path selection. The performance enhancing features described are particularly useful for links with high latency and/or high bit error rates.

Claims

1. A network apparatus, comprising:

a proxy which facilitates communication with other network entities by performing at least one performance enhancing function, the proxy communicating with the other network entities via a first type of connection and a second type of connection,

wherein the proxy establishes multiple connections of the first type associated with different applications, and includes

a spoofing element configured to intercept and alter a data flow within one of the connections to add to or delete from the data flow to reduce startup latency, the spoofing element only spoofing connections of the first type associated with at least one of applications with high throughput and applications for which reduced startup latency is desired, and

a multiplexing element configured to selectively multiplex the spoofed connections onto a single connection of the second type.

2. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spoofing element assigns spoofing resources, including buffer space and control blocks, to the spoofed connections.

3. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said spoofing element spoofs connections using at least one spoofing rule based on destination address, source address, destination port number, source port number, options, a differentiated services (DS) field or combinations thereof.

4. The network apparatus of claim 3, wherein said spoofing element defines the at least one spoofing rule in a spoofing profile.

5. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spoofing element spoofs acknowledgements (ACKs).

6. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spoofing element spoofs a three-way handshake between said network apparatus and another network entity.

7. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proxy includes a prioritization element, which prioritizes connections of the first type to determine what priority level of the connection of the second type, each of the connections of the first type are assigned.

8. The network apparatus of claim 7, wherein said prioritizing element prioritizes connections using at least one prioritizing rule based on destination address, source address, destination port number, source port number, protocol, a differentiated services (DS) field, a type of data contained within the connection or combinations thereof.

9. The network apparatus of claim 8, wherein said prioritizing element defines the at least one prioritizing rule in a prioritizing profile.

10. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proxy includes a path selection element, which selects a path for data associated with connections of the first type across connections of the second type or connections of other types.

11. The network apparatus of claim 10, wherein said path selection element can select up to N paths (N>

1), where the Nth path is selected only if the (N−

1)th path fails.

12. The network apparatus of claim 11, wherein said path selection element selects a path using at least one path selection rule based on priority, a destination address, source address, destination port number, source port number, protocol, a differentiated services (DS) field or combinations thereof.

13. The network apparatus of claim 12, wherein said path selection element defines the at least one path selection rule in a path selection profile.

14. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proxy includes a compression and encryption element, which compresses and encrypts data associated with connections of the first type for transmission across connections of the second type.

15. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connection uses a high layer protocol.

16. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first connection uses one of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

17. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second connection is a backbone connection.

18. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein the backbone connection is via a wireless link.

19. The network apparatus of claim 18, wherein the wireless link has high latency and high error rate.

20. The network apparatus of claim 18, wherein the wireless link is a satellite link.

21. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network apparatus is a component of a network gateway.

22. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network apparatus is a component of a host.

23. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network apparatus is a component of a hub.

24. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network apparatus is a component of a VSAT.

25. The network apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network apparatus is a component of a router.

26. A method for providing data communication with a plurality of network entities, comprising:

facilitating communication with the network entities by performing at least one performance enhancing function;

communicating with the network entities via a first type of connection and a second type of connection;

establishing multiple connections of the first type associated with different applications;

intercepting and altering a data flow within one of the connections to add to or delete from the data flow to reduce startup latency;

spoofing only connections of the first type associated with at least one of applications with high throughput and applications for which reduced startup latency is desired; and

selectively multiplexing the spoofed connections onto a single connection of the second type.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said spoofing step assigns spoofing resources, including buffer space and control blocks, to the spoofed connections.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said spoofing step spoofs connections using at least one spoofing rule based on destination address, source address, destination port number, source port number, options, a differentiated services (DS) field or combinations thereof.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said spoofing step defines the at least one spoofing rule in a spoofing profile.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

spoofing acknowledgements (ACKs).

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

spoofing a three-way handshake another network entity.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

prioritizing connections of the first type to determine what priority level of the connection of the second type, each of the connections of the first type are assigned.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said prioritizing step prioritizes connections using at least one priority rule based on destination address, source address, destination port number, source port number, protocol, a differentiated services (DS) field, type of data contained within the connection or combinations thereof.

34. The network apparatus of claim 33, wherein said prioritizing element defines the at least one prioritizing rule in a prioritizing profile.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

selecting a path for data associated with connections of the first type across connections of the second type or connections of other types.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said selection step selects up to N paths (N>

1), where the Nth path is selected only if the (N−

1)th path fails.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said selection step selects a path using at least one path selection rule based on priority, a destination address, source address, destination port number, source port number, protocol, a differentiated services (DS) field or combinations thereof.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said selection step defines the at least one path selection rule in a path selection profile.

39. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

compressing and encrypting data associated with connections of the first type for transmission across connections of the second type.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein the first connection uses a high layer protocol.

41. The method of claim 26, wherein the first connection uses one of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

42. The method of claim 26, wherein the second connection is a backbone connection.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the backbone connection is via a wireless link.

44. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless link has high latency and high error rate.

45. The method of claim 26, wherein the wireless link is a satellite link.

46. The method of claim 26, wherein said method is performed in a network gateway.

47. The method of claim 26, wherein said method is performed in a host.

48. The method of claim 26, wherein said method is performed in a hub.

49. The method of claim 26, wherein said method is performed in a VSAT.

50. The method of claim 26, wherein said method is performed in a router.

51. The method of claim 26, wherein said method is performed in a switch.

52. A method for providing data communication over a satellite network, the method comprising:

communicating with a plurality of hosts over a plurality of connections corresponding to a plurality of applications resident on the respective hosts;

determining which of the plurality of connections, according to the respective applications, is to receive priority processing for transport over a backbone connection established over the satellite network;

encrypting and compressing data streams associated with the priority connections based on a transmission constraint of the backbone connection; and

transmitting the encrypted and compressed data streams over the backbone connection, and concurrently acknowledging the corresponding hosts.

53. A computer-readable medium bearing instructions for providing data communication over a satellite network, said instruction, being arranged, upon execution, to cause one or more processors to perform the method of claim 52.