5G Packet Reordering via Link and Sequence Identifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Per-packet traffic splitting in 5G networks often results in out-of-order data packets, leading to packet loss and poor user experience, especially for streaming media services due to frame skipping and freezing.
Innovation Solution
A communication method where a sending device determines and includes a sequence identifier and link identifier in the data packet header, allowing the receiving device to reorder out-of-order packets and improve bandwidth utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If per-packet traffic splitting is performed to improve bandwidth utilization, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but data packets arrive out of order causing packet loss and poor user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The sending device performs preliminary actions by determining sequence identifiers and link identifiers for data packets before transmission. These identifiers are inserted into packet headers in advance, enabling the receiving device to reorder packets correctly upon arrival, thus preventing out-of-order delivery issues while maintaining traffic splitting benefits
Solution Approach 2:
Sequence identifiers and link identifiers act as intermediary elements that mediate between the traffic splitting mechanism and the packet reordering requirement. These identifiers serve as a bridge that allows packets to be split across multiple paths while maintaining their original sequence information for correct reassembly at the receiving end
2Productivity
If per-packet traffic splitting is performed to increase bandwidth utilization, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but TCP packet loss occurs due to out-of-order packets
Solution Approach 1:
The sending device determines and inserts sequence identifiers into packet headers before transmission. This preliminary action ensures that even when packets are split and transmitted through different paths, the receiving device can use these pre-assigned sequence identifiers to reorder packets correctly, preventing TCP packet loss that would otherwise occur due to out-of-order delivery
3Productivity
If per-packet traffic splitting is performed to improve bandwidth utilization, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but frame skipping and freezing occur in streaming media services
Solution Approach 1:
The sending device performs preliminary determination of sequence identifiers and link identifiers for each data packet before transmission. These identifiers are embedded in packet headers in advance, enabling the receiving device to correctly reorder packets upon arrival. This prevents out-of-order delivery that would cause frame skipping and freezing in streaming media services, while still allowing traffic to be split across multiple paths for improved bandwidth utilization
Solution Approach 2:
Sequence identifiers and link identifiers serve as intermediary elements that mediate between the traffic splitting mechanism and the requirement for in-order frame delivery in streaming media. These identifiers preserve the original sequence information through the split-path transmission, enabling correct reassembly and playback without frame skipping or freezing
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this application provide a communication method, a device, and a system, to resolve an out-of-order problem caused by per-packet traffic splitting. The method includes: determining, by a sending device, a sequence identifier of a to-be-transmitted data packet and an identifier of a first link for transmitting the data packet; and sending, by the sending device, the data packet to a receiving device, where a header of the data packet includes the identifier of the first link and the sequence identifier, the identifier of the first link is used to identify the first link, and the sequence identifier is used to identify a sending order of the data packet over the first link or in a link group to which the first link belongs.