Method and apparatus for non contiguous sliding window

• US 20070025255A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seth Noble
• Original Assignee: Seth Noble
• Inventors: Noble, Seth
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• 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

Abstract

A method that limits data flow between two network nodes to an amount within a window where a first portion of data within a first segment of the window is separated from a second portion of data within a second segment of the window by a third portion of data not within the window.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

regulating a flow of sequentially addressed data across a network between a source node and a destination node by limiting the number of units of said data traversing said network to a set called a window such that

units are added to said window because their transmission by said source is desired;

units are removed from said window because they have arrived at said destination;

units are removed from said window because they are declared to have been lost;

the total number of units within said window is no higher than by said limiting number of units of said data traversing said network;

the difference between the smallest address whose corresponding unit is contained within said window, and the largest address whose corresponding unit is contained within said window, is unbounded; and

,

units are allowed to be noncontiguous.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising simultaneously adding an amount of units to said window upon the number of units within said window being discovered to be below said limiting number.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said amount of units being added is limited to no more than the minimum of:

a) the difference between said limiting number and said number of

units within said window;

b) an amount limited by a first capacity of said destination; and

c) an amount limited by a second capacity of said source.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said first capacity of said destination further comprises a client burst limit.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said second capacity of said source further comprises a server burst limit.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising sending a request message over said network between said source node and said destination node for one or more units of data, said units of data being among those to be added to said window.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising selecting those units to be added to said window from among those units which are not currently within said window and which have not previously been received by said destination.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said selection of units to be added to said window prefers units with earlier addresses.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said sequentially addressed data corresponds to a contiguous portion of a response requested from said source by said destination.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said response is the result of an action or process carried out by said source at the request of said destination.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein units are declared to have been lost by virtue of their failure to arrive within some period of time or count of data arrival.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending a request message for one or more units which have been declared lost.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising adding said requested units to said window.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising reducing said limiting number of units within said window as a result of said declaring of one or more units to be lost.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising increasing said limiting number of units within said window.

16. A method that controls the transportation of an amount of data over a network, wherein, when said amount of data is viewed as being contiguous, such that a next piece of said amount of data is adjacent to a piece of said amount of data from the perspective of said piece of said amount of data, a window that is viewed as being superimposed upon said amount of data defines a specific portion of said amount data based upon a size of said window and a positioning of said window, said method comprising:

allowing non contiguous portions of said amount of data to be in transit over said network such that;

a first portion of said amount of data that is allowed to be in transit within said network can be viewed as being defined by a first window;

a second portion of said amount of data that is allowed to be in transit within said network can be viewed as being defined by a second window, wherein said first and second windows can be viewed as being superimposed upon said amount of data such that a third portion of said amount of data that is not in transit within said network exists between said first window and said second window, said second portion having a next piece of said amount of data from the perspective of a piece of said amount of data that is within said third portion; and

wherein;

1) if;

said next piece from the perspective of said piece within said third portion arrives at its destination causing said third portion to expand;

2) then;

a next piece of said amount data from the perspective of said second portion is allowed to be in transit within said network causing said second window to slide.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein all of said amount of data is to be transported from a server to a client over said network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein at least a piece of said amount data that is within said first portion resides within a reply message that has been sent from said server to said client.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein at least a piece of said amount of data that is within said first portion resides within a first reply message that has been sent from said server to said client and at least a piece of said amount of data that is within said second portion resides within a second reply message that has been sent from said server to said client.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said second reply message is one reply message of a burst of reply messages.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising sending a request message from said client to said server for said next piece of said amount data from the perspective of said second portion.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising starting a timer that measures how long it takes for said next piece of said amount data from the perspective of said second portion to arrive at said destination.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein at least a piece of said amount of data within said first portion is no longer deemed in transit within said network because of the expiration of a timer.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the measurement by said timer having exceeded a value results in the declaration that said next piece of said amount of data has been lost.

25. The method of claim 16 wherein said next piece of said amount data from the perspective of said second portion is the same size as said piece of said amount of data that arrived at its destination.