Ethernet Traffic Shaping via Frame Fragmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Standard Ethernet networks struggle to enforce strict temporal properties for data transmission, particularly in industrial applications, where tightly bounded latency and jitter are required for control/command messages, leading to inefficiencies and unfair access to the medium.
Innovation Solution
A combined frame scheduling and fragmentation mechanism that distinguishes between express and normal frames, allowing for timely transmission of express frames while optimizing the use of bandwidth by fragmenting normal frames to fit within time windows, ensuring fair access and minimizing latency and jitter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard Ethernet is used for data transmission, then network simplicity and compatibility are maintained, but strict temporal properties (latency and jitter bounds) cannot be enforced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments normal frames into multiple fragments that can be transmitted in separate time windows. This segmentation allows the network to enforce temporal properties by controlling when each fragment is transmitted, while maintaining compatibility with standard Ethernet framing at the receiver end where fragments are reassembled into the original frame.
2Loss of time
If express frames are given priority transmission in time windows, then latency for control messages is reduced, but bandwidth utilization decreases due to idle time when no express frames are available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by transmitting only the necessary portion of normal frames (as fragments) during time windows when express frame transmission capacity is available. This allows normal frame transmission to partially utilize the bandwidth without compromising express frame latency requirements, thereby improving overall bandwidth utilization while maintaining express frame priority.
3Ease of operation
If normal frames are transmitted without fragmentation, then transmission simplicity is maintained, but unfair access to the medium occurs when express frames monopolize time windows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments normal frames into fragments that can be transmitted in multiple time windows. This segmentation ensures fair medium access by allowing normal frame data to be distributed across different time windows when express frames are not present, preventing monopolization while maintaining transmission simplicity through automated fragment reassembly at the receiver.
4Productivity
If fragmentation is applied to normal frames, then bandwidth utilization and fairness are improved, but frame processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by having the transmitting device automatically fragment normal frames into appropriate sized segments that fit within available time window capacity, and having the receiving device automatically reassemble fragments into the original frames. This automated process improves bandwidth utilization and fairness while minimizing the perceived processing complexity for higher-level applications.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to packet-switched networks, such as Ethernet, and more particularly to a method for traffic shaping of data frames to transmit in such a telecommunication network, the frames to transmit being distinguished between: o express frames, needing to be sent within predetermined time windows, o and normal frames, intended to be sent at times outside said time windows (b)). More particularly, for a current normal frame, the method comprises the steps of: - determining whether said normal frame can be fragmented (c)), and if yes: - determining whether a remaining time to a next time window opening is enough to transmit one or several fragments of said normal frame, and if yes: - transmitting said one or several fragments.