Encapsulation Tunnel Bandwidth Optimization via Packet Accumulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional encapsulation technologies, such as GRE tunnels, often underutilize bandwidth due to the transmission of packets that are smaller than the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU), leading to inefficient use of tunnel capacity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that identifies packets entering an encapsulation tunnel, determines if their size meets a threshold based on the MTU, and only forwards them when the cumulative size reaches the threshold or a predetermined time interval has passed, allowing for consolidation into a single GRE packet for efficient transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional GRE tunnel encapsulation is used to forward traffic, then security is improved through encryption and encapsulation, but bandwidth utilization deteriorates due to transmission of small packets below MTU size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple small packets into a single GRE tunnel packet by accumulating packets in a buffer until the cumulative size reaches the MTU threshold. This combining approach maximizes bandwidth utilization by eliminating per-packet overhead while maintaining security through unified encapsulation of the accumulated traffic stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary buffering and size evaluation of packets before encapsulation. By pre-accumulating packets that meet the size threshold and applying encapsulation only when the threshold is reached or timeout occurs, the system optimizes bandwidth usage while preserving security requirements for traffic encapsulation.
2Productivity
If packets are buffered and accumulated to reach MTU size threshold, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but transmission delay increases due to postponement of forwarding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic evaluation of accumulated packet size against the MTU threshold with a timeout mechanism. Packets are forwarded when either the size threshold is reached or the timeout period expires, creating a periodic transmission pattern that balances bandwidth optimization with acceptable latency requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows partial buffering of packets that may not completely fill the MTU threshold before forwarding occurs. By accepting that some packets may be transmitted before reaching full threshold size (due to timeout or new arrivals), the system achieves practical bandwidth optimization without excessive delay.
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed method may include (1) identifying a packet that enters a start point of an encapsulation tunnel that spans at least a portion of a network, (2) discovering a maximum transmission unit of the encapsulation tunnel, (3) determining whether a size of the packet satisfies a size threshold that is based at least in part on the maximum transmission unit of the encapsulation tunnel, (4) detecting an encapsulation-triggering event in connection with the packet, and then in response to detecting the encapsulation-triggering event, (5) forwarding the packet via the start point of the encapsulation tunnel toward an end point of the encapsulation tunnel. Various other systems, methods, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.