IPv4 Identification Field Packet Sequencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In TCP/IP networking, existing methods lack effective mechanisms to sequence and diagnose packet transmission errors such as loss, duplication, and out-of-order delivery across high-speed networks without fragmenting packets, which are often not required due to large bandwidths.
Innovation Solution
Assigning a data flow-specific sequential value to each packet using the IPv4 identification field in the IP header and setting the Do Not Fragment (DNF) bit to prevent packet fragmentation, allowing for error detection and transmission rate evaluation at a single observation point without additional data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If packet fragmentation is used to transmit large packets across network links with limited MTU, then packets can be delivered across the network, but the complexity of packet handling increases due to reassembly requirements at the destination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packet sequencing function by using the identification field to carry sequence information for each packet. This allows the destination to reassemble packets efficiently by comparing sequence numbers, reducing the complexity of traditional fragmentation reassembly while maintaining the ability to handle packets of various sizes across network links with different MTU constraints
2Reliability
If the IPv4 identification field is used for traditional defragmentation, then fragmented packets can be reassembled, but it becomes difficult to detect packet transmission errors such as loss, duplication, and out-of-order delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the IPv4 identification field multi-functional by using it both for traditional packet identification/defragmentation purposes and for carrying sequence information to detect transmission errors. This allows a single field to serve multiple functions: identifying fragmented packets for reassembly while simultaneously enabling detection of packet loss, duplication, and out-of-order delivery through sequence number analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the sequence information in the identification field allows the destination to detect transmission errors and potentially send feedback to the source about packet transmission issues, enabling error detection and correction in the packet transmission process
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If sequential packet sequencing is implemented to detect transmission errors, then error detection capability improves, but additional data fields or mechanisms are required increasing protocol complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent avoids increasing protocol complexity by making the existing IPv4 identification field multi-functional. Instead of adding new data fields, the identification field is repurposed to carry sequence information, allowing error detection capabilities to be added without modifying the basic protocol structure or requiring additional bandwidth for sequencing data
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for assigning a data flow-specific sequential value to each packet of a data flow that is sent from a source endpoint to a destination endpoint in a network. In some embodiments, the source endpoint receives the data flow from a source application while the destination endpoint delivers the data flow to a destination application. The method of some embodiments assigns separate monotonically incrementing values to the packets of each data flow between the same two endpoints by inserting the incremental values into the IPv4 identification field in each packet's IP header. Some embodiments use this sequential value in order to discover any potential error condition in packet transmission. Some embodiments use the IPv4 identification field values to calculate the transmission rate of a data flow at only one observation point.