Metacodec for optimizing network data compression based on comparison of write and read rates

• US 9,210,239 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Amdahl, Saxon Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US13/788,859
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 709/247
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are directed towards selectively compressing data for transmission over a network. In one embodiment, a sending network device and receiving network device negotiates different compression modes to communicate data between them. An initial compression mode may be selected based on a network bandwidth. The sending network device then reads data, and compresses using the selected compression mode. The compressed data may then be written out. Ratios of compression and the write times are then employed to selectively adjust the compression mode for subsequent data compressions. In one embodiment, a compression ratio is also employed to determine whether to employ the selected compression mode, or to reduce the level of compression by using a different compression mode. The receiving network device having received information about the selected compression mode, then employs that compression mode to decompress the received data.

Claims

1. A processor readable non-transitive media that includes instructions, wherein the execution of the instructions by a network device enables actions, comprising:

negotiating which of a plurality of compression modes the network device and another network device will selectively use to compress and decompress data transmitted between the network device and the other network device;

reading data received over a network;

compressing the data using a compression mode of the plurality of negotiated compression modes;

determining a compression time as an amount of time consumed to compress the data using the compression mode;

writing the compressed data to a buffer for use in communicating the compressed data over the network;

determining a write time as another amount of time consumed to write the compressed data to the buffer;

determining a ratio of the compression time to the write time for the data;

selectively modifying the compression mode based in part on the determined ratio of compression time to write time; and

wherein selectively modifying the compression mode includes;

if the determined ratio is greater than a threshold value, selecting another compression mode having a lower ratio of compression than a current compression mode; and

if a ratio of write time to compression time is greater than another threshold value, selecting yet another compression mode having a higher ratio of compression than the current compression mode.

2. The media of claim 1, further comprising determining each compression ratio, in part, from a number of bits in the received data and a number of bits in the compressed data.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein employing the compression mode with the lower ratio further comprises selecting a compression mode from the plurality of negotiated compression modes with a fastest computation time.

4. The media of claim 1, further comprising selecting an initial compression mode from the plurality of negotiated compression modes based on at least a network bandwidth characteristic.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein writing the compressed data further comprises writing the compressed data to at least one of a TCP stack buffer, or a network card buffer.

6. The media of claim 1, further comprising employing a weighted running average of compression ratios over time for determining an average compression ratio.

7. The media of claim 1, further comprising employing received information to compress at least a portion of the data in a header of a network packet.

8. The media of claim 1, further comprising employing a detent counter to minimize dithering between compression modes, wherein the detent counter is at least weighted based on a number of bits in the data to be compressed.

9. The media of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a compression ratio between the data and the compressed data; and

if the determination of the compression ratio indicates that the data is incompressible, selecting a fastest computation time compression mode from the plurality of negotiated compression modes.

10. A traffic management computer for enabling communications between a plurality of network devices, comprising:

a transceiver for sending and receiving network packets; and

a hardware processor operative to perform actions, including;

negotiating which of a plurality of compression modes the traffic management computer and a network device will selectively use to compress and decompress data transmitted between the traffic management computer and the network device;

reading data received over a network;

compressing the data using a compression mode of the plurality of negotiated compression modes;

determining a compression time as an amount of time consumed to compress the data using the compression mode;

writing the compressed data to a buffer for use in communicating the compressed data over the network;

determining a write time us another amount of time consumed to write the compressed data to the buffer;

determining a ratio of the compression time to the write time for the data;

selectively modifying the compression mode based in part on the determined ratio of compression time to write time; and

wherein selectively modifying the compression mode includes;

if the determined ratio is greater than a threshold value, selecting another compression mode having a lower ratio of compression than a current compression mode; and

if a ratio of write time to compression time is greater than another threshold value, selecting yet another compression mode having a higher ratio of compression than the current compression mode.

11. The traffic management computer of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising employing a weighted running average of compression ratios over time for determining an average compression ratio.

12. The traffic management computer of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising employing received information to compress at least a portion of the data in a header of a network packet.

13. The traffic management computer of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising employing a detent counter to minimize dithering between compression modes, wherein the detent counter is at least weighted based on a number of bits in the data to be compressed.

14. The traffic management computer of claim 10, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising:

determining a compression ratio between the data and the compressed data; and

if the determination of the compression ratio indicates that the data is incompressible, selecting a fastest computation time compression mode from the plurality of negotiated compression modes.

15. A system for enabling communications between a plurality of network devices, comprising:

a first network device, comprising

a transceiver for sending and receiving network packets; and

a hardware processor operative to perform actions, including;

negotiating which of a plurality of compression modes the first network device and a second network device will selectively use to compress and decompress data transmitted between the first network device and the second network device;

reading data received over a network;

compressing the data using a compression mode of the plurality of negotiated compression modes;

determining a compression time as an amount of time consumed to compress the data using the compression mode;

writing the compressed data to a buffer for use in communicating the compressed data over the network;

determining a write time as another amount of time consumed to write the compressed data to the buffer;

determining a ratio of the compression time to the write time for the data;

selectively modifying the compression mode based in part on the determined ratio of compression time to write time; and

wherein selectively modifying the compression mode includes;

if the determined ratio is greater than a threshold value, selecting another compression mode having a lower ratio of compression than a current compression mode; and

if a ratio of write time to compression time is greater than another threshold value, selecting yet another compression mode having a higher ratio of compression than the current compression mode.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising selecting an initial compression mode from the plurality of negotiated compression modes based on at least a network bandwidth characteristic between the first network device and the second network device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising employing a weighted running average of compression ratios over time for determining an average compression ratio.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising employing a detent counter to minimize dithering between compression modes, wherein the detent counter is at least weighted based on a number of bits in the data to be compressed.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is operative to perform further actions, comprising:

determining a compression ratio between the data and the compressed data; and

if the determination of the compression ratio indicates that the data is incompressible, selecting a fastest computation time compression mode from the plurality of negotiated compression modes.