Methods, systems, and computer program products for sharing information for detecting an idle TCP connection

• US 9,923,996 B1
• Filed: 09/03/2017
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jenam Tech, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sitting Man LLC
• Inventors: Morris, Robert Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US15/694,803
• Time in Patent Office: 198 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• 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 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for sharing information for detecting an idle connection. In one aspect, a second node receives a packet in a connection. A portion in the packet is detected identifying metadata for a period, detectable by a first node. The second node modifies a timeout associated with the connection based on the metadata. In another aspect, a first node receives information for detecting a period. A packet is generated including a portion identifying metadata for the period based on the information, and sent to the second node.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing a network application; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the network application such that the network application is configured to operate in accordance with a first protocol including a transmission control protocol (TCP), the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the first protocol to establish a TCP connection, configured to;

communicate a segment including at least one first synchronize bit;

communicate a first acknowledgement of the segment, and at least one second synchronize bit; and

communicate a second acknowledgement;

wherein the network application is further configured to operate in accordance with a second protocol that is separate from the TCP, the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the second protocol to establish a second protocol connection, configured to;

receive, by a second node from a first node, a packet;

detect an idle time period parameter field in the packet;

identify metadata in the idle time period parameter field for an idle time period, where, after the idle time period is detected, the second protocol connection is deemed inactive; and

create or modify, by the second node and based on the metadata, a timeout attribute associated with the second protocol connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured such that creating or modifying the timeout attribute renders one or more keep-alive packets in the second protocol connection unnecessary.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of:

the second node includes a server, the server being configured to;

based on the receiving, send, by the second node to the first node, another packet in advance of the second protocol connection being established, the another TCP-variant packet including other metadata for the idle time period;

or

the second node includes a client, the client being configured such that the receiving is performed subsequent to sending, by the second node to the first node, another packet in advance of the second protocol connection being established including other metadata for the idle time period.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the metadata is the same as the other metadata.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the metadata is different from the other metadata.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the metadata is based on the other metadata.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the timeout attribute is specified in at least one of a number of seconds or minutes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the metadata is used as input of an algorithm for determining a duration of time associated with the timeout attribute.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the algorithm is determined, in response to the identification of the metadata and based on at least one particular attribute not related to the metadata.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the creation or the modification of the timeout attribute results from a negotiation between the first node and the second node via a negotiation protocol specific to the second protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured for:

detecting the idle time period based on the timeout attribute; and

deactivating the second protocol connection in response to detecting the idle time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to utilize the second protocol instead of the TCP in order to permit negotiation, between the first node and the second node, of the timeout attribute, where a negotiated timeout attribute is not available when operating in accordance with the TCP, but is available when establishing the second protocol connection so as to permit the second protocol connection to be at least partially closed based on the negotiated timeout attribute when the second protocol connection is inactive.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the timeout attribute is used to determine whether to at least partially close the second protocol connection when inactive.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the packet and the metadata included therewith are received by the second node from the first node, without requiring any prior signaling from the second node to the first node.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing a network application; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the network application such that the network application is configured to operate in accordance with a first protocol including a transmission control protocol (TCP), the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the first protocol to establish a TCP connection, configured to;

communicate a segment including at least one first synchronize bit;

communicate a first acknowledgement of the segment, and at least one second synchronize bit; and

communicate a second acknowledgement;

wherein the network application is further configured to operate in accordance with a second protocol that is separate from the TCP, the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the second protocol to establish a second protocol connection, configured to;

receive idle information for detecting an idle time period, after which, the second protocol connection is subject to deactivation;

generate a second protocol packet including an idle time period parameter field identifying metadata for the idle time period based on the idle information; and

send, from a first node to a second node, the second protocol packet to provide the metadata for the idle time period to the second node, for use by the second node in creating or modifying, based on the metadata, a timeout attribute associated with the second protocol connection.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the timeout attribute is an attribute of the idle time period.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the second protocol packet and the metadata included therewith are sent by the first node to the second node, without any prior signaling between the second node and the first node.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the metadata includes a first value and the timeout attribute is capable of being created or modified, by the second node, to include a second value that is different than the first value of the metadata.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the timeout attribute is at least one of a number of seconds or minutes.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the creation or the modification of the timeout attribute results from a negotiation between the first node and the second node.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured for:

detecting the idle time period; and

deactivating the second protocol connection by communicating a particular packet between the first node and the second node, in response to detecting the idle time period.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured to utilize the second protocol instead of the TCP in order to permit negotiation, between the first node and the second node, of the timeout attribute, where the negotiation of the timeout attribute is not available when operating in accordance with the TCP, but is available when establishing the second protocol connection so as to permit the second protocol connection to be at least partially closed when inactive based on the timeout attribute.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the timeout attribute serves to keep the second protocol connection open when inactive, and to prevent one or more other nodes from closing the second protocol connection when inactive.

24. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured such that the second protocol packet and the metadata included therewith are sent by the first node to the second node, in response to receiving, by the first node from the second node, another second protocol packet with other metadata.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions such that a network application operates in accordance with a first protocol including a transmission control protocol (TCP) that operates above an Internet Protocol (IP) layer and below a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) application layer, the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the first protocol to set up a TCP connection, configured to;

communicate a segment including at least one first synchronize bit;

communicate a first acknowledgement of the segment, and at least one second synchronize bit; and

communicate a second acknowledgement;

wherein the network application is further configured to operate in accordance with a second protocol that is different from the TCP, where the second protocol operates above the IP layer and below the HTTP application layer, the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the second protocol to set up a second protocol connection, configured to;

receive, by a second node from a first node, a packet;

identify metadata, that specifies at least one of a number of seconds or minutes, in an idle time period parameter field in the packet for an idle time period and, during which, no packet is communicated that meets each of the following criteria;

a) communicated via the second protocol connection, and b) causes the second protocol connection to be kept at least partially alive; and

determine, by the second node and based on the metadata, a timeout attribute associated with the second protocol connection.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the apparatus is configured such that:

nothing is communicated that meets each of the criteria, during the idle time period;

the determination of the timeout attribute results from a negotiation between the first node and the second node; and

the metadata includes a first value and the timeout attribute is determined to include a second value that is different than the first value of the metadata.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the apparatus is configured for:

detecting the idle time period based on the timeout attribute; and

deactivating the second protocol connection by communicating a particular packet between the first node and the second node, in response to detecting the idle time period.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein at least one of:

the apparatus is at least one component of the second node;

the communication includes only receiving;

the communication includes only sending;

the communication includes receiving and sending;

the first acknowledgement of the segment and the at least one second synchronize bit are communicated together;

the communication of;

the segment including the at least one first synchronize bit, the first acknowledgement of the segment, the at least one second synchronize bit, and the second acknowledgement, is carried out via a 3-way handshake;

the segment includes a signal;

the segment includes a packet;

the second protocol includes a variant to the TCP;

the second protocol includes an extension to the TCP;

the second protocol includes a non-TCP protocol;

the second protocol connection includes a first connection that is set up;

the second protocol connection includes an initial connection that is set up;

the metadata specifies a number of seconds;

the metadata specifies a number of minutes;

the packet is informational;

the packet is received directly by the second node from the first node;

the packet is received by the second node from the first node via at least one other intermediate node;

the timeout attribute is capable being the same as the metadata;

the timeout attribute is capable being different from the metadata;

the timeout attribute specifies a time duration;

the determining the timeout attribute includes at least one of modifying, creating, or deleting the timeout attribute;

the TCP operates directly above the IP layer;

the TCP operates directly below the HTTP application layer;

the second protocol operates directly above the IP layer;

the second protocol operates directly below the HTTP application layer;

or

during the idle time period, a data-equipped second protocol packet is capable of being received by the first node in another connection separate from the second protocol connection.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions such that a network application operates in accordance with a first protocol including a transmission control protocol (TCP) that operates above an Internet Protocol (IP) layer and below a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) application layer, the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the first protocol to set up a TCP connection, configured to;

communicate a segment including at least one first synchronize bit;

communicate a first acknowledgement of the segment, and at least one second synchronize bit; and

communicate a second acknowledgement;

wherein the network application is further configured to operate in accordance with a second protocol that is different from the TCP, where the second protocol operates above the IP layer and below the HTTP application layer, the apparatus, when operating in accordance with the second protocol to set up a second protocol connection, configured to;

receive idle information for use in detecting an idle time period during which no signal is communicated that meets each of the following criteria;

a) communicated in the second protocol connection, and b) results in the second protocol connection being at least partially kept alive;

generate, based on the idle information, a second protocol packet including an idle time period parameter field identifying metadata that is specified in at least one of a number of seconds or minutes; and

send, from a first node to a second node and during the set up of the second protocol connection, the second protocol packet to provide the metadata to the second node, for use by the second node in determining a timeout attribute associated with the second protocol connection.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the apparatus is configured such that:

the determination of the timeout attribute results from a negotiation between the first node and the second node;

wherein the apparatus is further configured for;

detecting the idle time period based on the idle information; and

releasing a resource allocated for the second protocol connection by one of the first and second nodes without signaling another one of the first and second nodes in connection with the detection of the idle time period.