Alternative TCP Stack Reduces Server Memory Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional servers face hardware constraints limiting the number of connections they can maintain due to memory constraints for storing information about network connections, leading to the need for an increasing number of servers, which is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an alternative TCP stack that excludes unnecessary information, allowing servers to store only essential connection details such as IP addresses, port numbers, and TCP sequence numbers, thereby enabling more connections to be hosted without the need for additional servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a default TCP stack is used to store information about network connections, then connection management is comprehensive and reliable, but memory consumption increases limiting the number of connections a server can host
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential connection information (source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, protocol type) from the complete TCP stack data structure. By taking out only the minimum necessary fields required for connection tracking and state management, the memory footprint is dramatically reduced while preserving the core functionality needed for reliable connection management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by implementing different data storage strategies for different types of connection information. Essential connection state data is stored in a optimized, minimal format in the connection tracking table, while complete TCP stack information is maintained separately when needed. This allows the system to have high reliability where needed while minimizing memory consumption in the connection tracking structure.
2Productivity
If more servers are acquired and maintained to handle connection limits, then connection capacity increases, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of connection information storage by transitioning from storing complete TCP stack data structures to storing only essential connection tuple information. This parameter change in data representation allows each server to maintain significantly more connection states in the same memory resources, thereby increasing connection capacity without proportionally increasing the number of servers needed.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive connection information is stored by the default TCP stack, then connection state tracking is complete, but the number of connections a server can host is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential connection information (source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, protocol type) from the complete TCP stack data structure. By taking out only the minimum necessary fields required for connection tracking and state management, the memory footprint is dramatically reduced while preserving the core functionality needed for reliable connection management.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for storing information about transmission control protocol connections may include (1) configuring a server with a transmission control protocol stack that is an alternative to a default transmission control protocol stack of an operating system of the server, (2) receiving, at the server, a request to establish a transmission control protocol connection with the server, (3) routing the request through the alternative transmission control protocol stack instead of the default transmission control protocol stack, and (4) storing, at the server via the alternative transmission control protocol stack, connection information about the transmission control protocol connection that excludes at least one item of information that would be stored by the default transmission control protocol stack. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.