Generic Layer Independent Fragmentation for Non-IP Frames
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current network communication protocols face inefficiencies in transmitting non-Internet Protocol (IP) frames due to their inability to fragment such frames without incurring unnecessary IP encapsulation overhead, leading to resource wastage and network congestion.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network device that performs generic layer-independent fragmentation by dividing non-IP frames into fragments, prepending generic fragmentation headers, and adding labels, allowing for transmission without IP overhead, thus conserving resources and avoiding network congestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If non-IP frames are transmitted without fragmentation, then transmission simplicity is maintained, but network congestion increases and resource wastage occurs due to IP encapsulation overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing non-IP frames into smaller fragments that can be transmitted without requiring full IP encapsulation. Each fragment is processed independently with reduced overhead, eliminating the need to encapsulate entire large frames in IP packets. This segmentation approach reduces resource wastage while managing complexity through standardized fragmentation procedures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If IP encapsulation is used for non-IP frames, then universal protocol compatibility is achieved, but network congestion increases and transmission efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fragmentation header as an intermediary structure that enables non-IP frames to be transmitted efficiently without full IP encapsulation. This intermediary header provides necessary routing and reassembly information while avoiding the overhead of complete IP packet structures, thus maintaining protocol compatibility where needed while improving transmission efficiency through reduced encapsulation overhead.
3Reliability
If large non-IP frames are transmitted as-is, then transmission overhead is minimized, but transmission fails through links with smaller MTU
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the frame structure adaptive to network conditions. The fragmentation process dynamically adjusts frame size based on the MTU of the transmission link, allowing the same non-IP frame to be transmitted successfully across different network paths with varying MTU requirements. This dynamic adaptation ensures transmission reliability while managing processing complexity through automated fragmentation logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device may receive a non-Internet protocol (non-IP) frame with a particular size and may compare the particular size to a maximum transmission unit (MTU) associated with a path between the network device and another network device. The network device may divide the non-IP frame into fragments, based on the particular size being greater than the MTU and may prepend generic fragmentation headers to the fragments to generate fragments with headers, based on the particular size being greater than the MTU. The network device may add generic fragmentation header labels and transport labels to the fragments with the headers to generate fragments with headers and labels, based on the particular size being greater than the MTU. The network device may transmit the fragments with the headers and the labels to the other network device, via the path, based on the particular size being greater than the MTU.