Efficient network utilization using multiple physical interfaces

• US 8,396,960 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Martinez, Martin, Riggert, Eric, Thalappil, Sameer
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US12/463,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/227, 709/228, 709/231, 370/235, 370/238, 370/411, 370/390, 370/395, 370/254, 348/14.09, 717/125
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

An architecture for streaming data from a sending endpoint to a receiving endpoint which are connected to each other by multiple networks is provided. Each of the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint has multiple physical interfaces each for interfacing to a respective one of the multiple networks. The architecture is implemented on both of the endpoints. The architecture includes a traffic monitor for gathering performance characteristics of each of the multiple physical interfaces, and a software library for controlling sending and receiving of the data stream between the endpoints. The traffic monitor and the software library communicate information to each other. The software library instantiates a plurality of bondable virtual interfaces for splitting the data stream into multiple data sub-streams and for combining the multiple data sub-streams into the data stream, and a data organizer for designating one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces.

Claims

1. An architecture for streaming data from a sending endpoint to a receiving endpoint which are connected to each other by multiple networks, wherein each of the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint has multiple physical interfaces each for interfacing to a respective one of the multiple networks, and wherein the architecture is implemented on both the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint and comprises:

a traffic monitor for gathering performance characteristics of each of the multiple physical interfaces; and

a software library for controlling the sending of the data stream from the sending endpoint and controlling the receiving of the data stream at the receiving endpoint, wherein the traffic monitor and the software library communicate information to each other, and wherein the software library instantiates;

a plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, instantiated by the software library based on the information communicated by the traffic monitor, for splitting the data stream into multiple data sub-streams at the sending endpoint, and for combining the multiple data sub-streams into the data stream at the receiving endpoint, wherein each of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces is associated with a respective plurality of physical interfaces;

one or more data organizers for designating one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces to be used to transmit the data stream, wherein the one or more data organizers instantiate;

a data splitter for implementing the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces at the sending endpoint, wherein the data stream is sent via the respective plurality of physical interfaces associated with the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces; and

a data combiner for implementing the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces at the receiving endpoint, wherein the data stream is received via the respective plurality of physical interfaces associated with the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces,

wherein when designating ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces to be used to transmit the data stream, the data splitter and the data combiner negotiate to designate one of the bondable virtual interfaces, based on the performance characteristics of the respective multiple physical interfaces that are mapped to each of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces and available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and during the negotiation between the data splitter and the data combiner, the data splitter presents available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and the data combiner selects one of the available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces,

wherein at least one of the traffic monitor and the software library is implemented by one or more processors,

wherein one or more applications connected to the sending endpoint specify a time objective for the data to be sent between the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint, wherein the time objective is one of a non-time critical objective, a time critical objective, or a near-time critical objective, and the time objective for the data to be sent is used when designating ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and

wherein said software library further instantiates;

a plurality of bondable virtual interface connectors, each bondable virtual interface connector being associated with a specific bondable virtual interface, wherein the bondable virtual interface connectors ensure that the connections between the software library and the multiple physical interfaces via multiple endpoint channels, and the connections between the software library and one or more applications via the one or more application channels, are ready to accept data before sending data from the sending endpoint to the receiving endpoint.

2. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint are each connected to one or more applications, and wherein the software library further instantiates:

one or more application channels connecting the software library to one or more applications, wherein the one or more application channels write data to the software library, the written data being received by the sending endpoint from the one or more applications, and the one or more application channels read data from the software library, the read data being sent from the receiving endpoint to the one or more applications connected to the receiving endpoint; and

multiple endpoint channels connecting the software library to the multiple physical interfaces, wherein the multiple endpoint channels write data to the software library, the written data being received at the receiving endpoint from the sending endpoint, and read data from the software library, the read data being sent from the sending endpoint to the receiving endpoint.

3. The architecture of claim 2, wherein the one or more application channels include an event handling mechanism to indicate when there is data to be read from or written to the software library, and wherein the multiple endpoint channels include an event handling mechanism to indicate when there is data to be read from or written to the multiple physical interfaces.

4. The architecture of claim 2, wherein said software library further instantiates:

a software application program interface which consists of a set of commands used by the one or more applications to utilize the architecture.

5. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the plurality of bondable interfaces includes at least one of a simple TCP Bondable virtual interface, a simple UDP bondable virtual interface, and a feedback TCP bondable virtual interface.

6. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the multiple physical interfaces include multiples of at least one of a wired Ethernet, a wireless connection, a MoCa, and a powerline Ethernet.

7. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the software library further instantiates:

a bondable virtual interface factory for registering the newly created ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, unregistering ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces which are no longer available, and providing a list of available bondable virtual interfaces to the data organizer.

8. The architecture of claim 1, wherein the software library further instantiates:

a traffic proxy for communicating information between the traffic monitor and the software library via a shared common interface.

9. The architecture of claim 1, wherein during the negotiation between the data splitter and the data combiner, the data splitter presents available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and the data combiner selects one of the available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces.

10. A method for streaming data from a sending endpoint to a receiving endpoint which are connected to each other by multiple networks, wherein each of the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint has multiple physical interfaces each for interfacing to a respective one of the multiple networks, and wherein the method is implemented on both the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint and comprises:

gathering by a traffic monitor performance characteristics of each of the multiple physical interfaces; and

controlling by a software library the sending of the data stream from the sending endpoint and controlling by the software library the receiving of the data stream at the receiving endpoint, wherein the traffic monitor and the software library communicate information to each other, and wherein the software library performs;

instantiating a plurality of bondable virtual interfaces based on the information communicated by the traffic monitor, for splitting the data stream into multiple data sub-streams at the sending endpoint, and for combining the multiple data sub-streams into the data stream at the receiving endpoint, wherein each of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces is associated with a respective plurality of physical interfaces; and

instantiating one or more data organizers for designating one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces to be used to transmit the data stream, wherein the one or more data organizers perform;

instantiating a data splitter for implementing the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces at the sending endpoint, wherein the data stream is sent via the respective plurality of physical interfaces associated with the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces; and

instantiating a data combiner for implementing the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces at the receiving endpoint, wherein the data stream is received via the respective plurality of physical interfaces associated with the designated one of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces,

wherein when designating ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces to be used to transmit the data stream, the data splitter and the data combiner negotiate to designate one of the bondable virtual interfaces, based on the performance characteristics of the respective multiple physical interfaces that are mapped to each of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces and available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and during the negotiation between the data splitter and the data combiner, the data splitter presents available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and the data combiner selects one of the available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces,

wherein one or more applications connected to the sending endpoint specify a time objective for the data to be sent between the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint, wherein the time objective is one of a non-time critical objective, a time critical objective, or a near-time critical objective, and the time objective for the data to be sent is used when designating ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and

wherein said software library further instantiates;

a plurality of bondable virtual interface connectors, each bondable virtual interface connector being associated with a specific bondable virtual interface, wherein the bondable virtual interface connectors ensure that the connections between the software library and the multiple physical interfaces via multiple endpoint channels, and the connections between the software library and one or more applications via the one or more application channels, are ready to accept data before sending data from the sending endpoint to the receiving endpoint.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint are each connected to one or more applications, and wherein the software library further performs:

instantiating one or more application channels connecting the software library to one or more applications, wherein the one or more application channels write data to the software library, the written data being received by the sending endpoint from the one or more applications, and the one or more application channels read data from the software library, the read data being sent from the receiving endpoint to the one or more applications connected to the receiving endpoint; and

instantiating multiple endpoint channels connecting the software library to the multiple physical interfaces, wherein the multiple endpoint channels write data to the software library, the written data being received at the receiving endpoint from the sending endpoint, and read data from the software library, the read data being sent from the sending endpoint to the receiving endpoint.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more application channels include an event handling mechanism to indicate when there is data to be read from or written to the software library, and wherein the multiple endpoint channels include an event handling mechanism to indicate when there is data to be read from or written to the multiple physical interfaces.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said software library further performs:

instantiating a software application program interface which consists of a set of commands used by the one or more applications to utilize the architecture.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of bondable interfaces includes at least one of a simple TCP Bondable virtual interface, a simple UDP bondable virtual interface, and a feedback TCP bondable virtual interface.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the multiple physical interfaces include multiples of at least one of a wired Ethernet, a wireless connection, a MoCa, and a powerline Ethernet.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the software library further performs:

instantiating a bondable virtual interface factory for registering the newly created ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, unregistering ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces which are no longer available, and providing a list of available bondable virtual interfaces to the data organizer.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the software library further performs:

instantiating a traffic proxy for communicating information between the traffic monitor and the software library via a shared common interface.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein during the negotiation between the data splitter and the data combiner, the data splitter presents available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces, and the data combiner selects one of the available ones of the plurality of bondable virtual interfaces.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium on which is stored computer-executable process steps to be executed by a processor, the computer-executable process steps for streaming data from a sending endpoint to a receiving endpoint which are connected to each other by multiple networks, wherein each of the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint has multiple physical interfaces each for interfacing to a respective one of the multiple networks, the computer-readable memory medium being implemented on both the sending endpoint and the receiving endpoint, said computer-executable process steps comprising process steps executable to perform a method according to any one of claims 10 to 12 and 13 to 18.