Architecture for dynamically adaptive transport protocols

• US 8,761,202 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Sivakumar, Raghupathy, Velayutham, Aravind
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Charles C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Javaid, Jamal
• Application Number:
  US11/235,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20060067333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,193 Days
• Field of Search: 370/465, 370/466, 370/468, 370/469, 370/228, 370/229, 370/252, 370/249, 370/389, 370/395.52, 709/224, 709/235, 709/223, 709/227, 714/3, 714/11, 712/28
• US Class Current: 370/469
• 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 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for reconfiguring a transport-layer protocol are disclosed. The transport-layer protocol is implemented by a plurality of transport-layer mechanisms. Each transport-layer mechanism resides in a dynamically loadable module and implements a specific area of transport-layer functionality. One method comprises: performing an initial load of a first plurality of transport-layer mechanisms into memory; unloading one of the first plurality of transport-layer mechanisms; and loading at least one transport-layer mechanism different than the first plurality. One system comprises a processor coupled to a local interface; a memory coupled to the local interface; and protocol logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor. The protocol logic comprises: monitor logic configured to detect a change in at least one network performance condition of a network communicatively coupled to the network interface; adaptation logic configured to load into the memory a transport-layer mechanism upon a notification by the monitor logic.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically adapting a transport-layer protocol, comprising:

a transport-layer protocol configured to interface with a network layer protocol, wherein the transport-layer protocol comprises a plurality of swappable transport-layer mechanisms, each transport-layer mechanism of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms implementing a specific area of transport-layer functionality of the transport layer protocol;

a processor coupled to a local interface;

a memory coupled to the local interface; and

transport-protocol logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the transport-protocol logic comprising;

monitor logic configured to detect a change in at least one network performance condition of a network communicatively coupled to the network interface; and

adaptation logic configured to unload a first transport-layer mechanism of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms and load a second transport-layer mechanism of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms at run time and in response to a notification by the monitor logic.

2. The system of claim 1, the protocol logic further comprising:

transport logic configured to associate each of a plurality of transport-layer events with one of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms; and

dispatcher logic configured to deliver the transport-layer events to the associated transport-layer mechanism.

3. The system of claim 2, the adaptation logic further configured to load the transport logic in response to the change in the network performance condition.

4. The system of claim 2, the adaptation logic further configured to load the transport logic in response to a change in the binding between the network interface and the protocol stack.

5. The system of claim 2, the monitor logic further configured to compare the network performance condition to a threshold.

6. The system of claim 2, the monitor logic further configured to provide an indication that condition has been met, the indication specifying a transport-layer mechanism.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

means for sharing state between the unloaded mechanism in the first plurality and the newly loaded mechanism.

8. The system of claim 1, the protocol logic further comprising:

short-circuit logic configured to provide transport-layer functionality during reconfiguration of the transport-layer protocol and to buffer data and events until the reconfiguration has completed, the short-circuit logic remaining in memory while the transport-layer protocol is in use.

9. A method for reconfiguring a transport-layer protocol, comprising logic for performing the steps of:

performing, using a processor, an initial load of a first plurality of transport-layer mechanisms into a memory, each of the transport-layer mechanisms residing in a dynamically loadable module, the first plurality of transport-layer mechanisms defining a transport-layer protocol, wherein each transport-layer mechanism of the first plurality of transport-layer mechanisms implements a specific area of transport-layer functionality of the transport layer protocol, and wherein the transport layer protocol is configured to interface with a network layer protocol;

unloading, at run time, from the memory a first transport-layer mechanism of the first plurality of transport-layer mechanisms implementing the transport-layer protocol; and

loading, at run time, into the memory at least a second transport-layer mechanism of the first plurality of transport-layer mechanism, the second transport-layer mechanism being different than the first transport-layer mechanism of the first plurality of transport mechanisms, thereby swapping, the first transport-layer mechanism of the first plurality of transport-layer mechanisms with at least the second transport-layer mechanism different than the first transport-layer mechanism of the first plurality of transport mechanisms.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the loading and unloading steps are performed in response to a change in at least one network performance condition of a network communicatively coupled to the network interface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the loading and unloading steps are performed in response to a change in the binding between the network interface and the protocol stack.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the loading and unloading steps are performed in response to a user command.

13. The method of claim 9, the program further comprising logic for performing the step of:

loading into the memory a transport logic module, the transport logic module mapping each of a plurality of transport-layer events to one of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of loading a transport logic module is performed in response to a change in at least one network performance condition of a network communicatively coupled to the network interface.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of loading a transport logic module is performed in response to a change in the binding between the network interface and the protocol stack.

16. The method of claim 9, the program further comprising logic for performing the steps of:

monitoring at least one network performance condition of a network communicatively coupled to the network interface, the condition specified by a trigger; and

upon the condition being met, loading a module containing a transport-layer mechanism associated with the trigger.

17. The method of claim 16, the program further comprising logic for performing the step of:

comparing the network performance condition to a threshold associated with the trigger.

18. The method of claim 16, the program further comprising logic for performing the step of:

providing an indication that the trigger condition has been met, the indication specifying a transport-layer mechanism.

19. The method of claim 9, the program further comprising logic for performing the step of:

executing, in response to a transport-layer event, one of the transport-layer mechanisms.

20. The method of claim 9, the program further comprising logic for performing the steps of:

mapping a transport-layer event to a specified one of the transport-layer mechanisms; and

executing the specified transport-layer mechanism in response to the transport-layer event.

21. The method of claim 9, the program further comprising logic for performing the steps of:

loading a short-circuit module which provides transport-layer functionality during reconfiguration of the transport-layer protocol and buffers data and events until the reconfiguration has completed, the short-circuit module remaining in memory while the transport-layer protocol is in use.

22. The method of claim 9, the program further comprising logic for performing the step of:

providing data which is shareable between the unloaded mechanism in the first plurality and the newly loaded mechanism.

23. A system for dynamically adapting a transport-layer protocol, comprising:

a transport-layer protocol comprising a plurality of transport-layer mechanisms, each transport-layer mechanism of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms implementing a specific area of transport-layer functionality of the transport layer protocol, wherein transport-layer functionality comprises loss recovery, loss detection, or initial path detection, or a combination thereof, and wherein the transport layer protocol is configured to interface with a network layer protocol;

a processor coupled to a local interface;

a memory coupled to the local interface; and

transport-protocol logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the transport-protocol logic comprising;

monitor logic configured to detect a change in at least one network performance condition of a network communicatively coupled to the network interface; and

adaptation logic configured to swap a first transport-layer mechanism of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms with a second transport-layer mechanism of the plurality of transport-layer mechanisms at run time and in response to a notification by the monitor logic.