Multipath Protocol Packet Relay for Seamless Handovers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current multipath protocols are limited by the requirement that both endpoints must support them, and existing solutions for relay functions on different protocol layers are either not compliant with middlebox requirements or are resource-intensive, making them uneconomical for network-hosted relay solutions.
Innovation Solution
A relay function that maps packet sequence information and acknowledgment information between transport protocols with multiple subflows, allowing for seamless communication between multipath and conventional transport protocols, eliminating the need for stream assembly and segmentation, and supporting multipath operation without buffering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If brute force packet relay techniques are used to assemble and segment traffic flows, then multipath operation is enabled, but large amounts of buffer space and processing power are required making the solution uneconomical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the packet relay function into protocol-specific processing modules at each endpoint, where each endpoint independently handles assembly and segmentation for its own protocol stack. This eliminates the need for network-hosted buffering while maintaining multipath capability, as each endpoint performs only local segmentation/assembly operations without requiring large network-side buffers.
Solution Approach 2:
Each endpoint performs self-service by independently assembling and segmenting its own traffic flows using protocol-specific processing. The endpoints autonomously manage their own buffer resources and processing requirements without relying on network-hosted relay infrastructure, thereby eliminating the economic burden of centralized buffer allocation while maintaining full multipath operation capability.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If tunneling mechanisms are used at layer 3 to switch between multiple paths, then path switching is achieved with inexpensive processing, but the tunnel does not use stream-based protocols and is not compliant with middlebox requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal packet relay mechanism that operates at layer 4 and above, making it compatible with both stream-based protocols (TCP, SCTP) and tunneling mechanisms. The protocol-agnostic processing at the relay function enables compliance with middlebox requirements while maintaining the low processing cost advantage of tunneling, as the same infrastructure supports multiple protocol types without requiring separate specialized systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary relay function at layer 4 that mediates between stream-based protocols and tunneling mechanisms. This intermediary performs protocol-specific processing for stream-based protocols while interfacing with tunneling infrastructure, thereby achieving middlebox compliance without sacrificing the processing efficiency of tunneling, as the intermediary translates between protocol requirements and tunneling capabilities.
3Reliability
If multipath protocols are required to be supported by both endpoints, then protocol compatibility is ensured, but deployment is obstructed since there is little incentive to upgrade an existing host unless all its potential peers are upgraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network-hosted relay function as an intermediary that enables multipath operation without requiring both endpoints to support the same multipath protocol. The relay function translates between different protocol stacks, allowing legacy hosts to communicate with multipath-capable hosts through the relay, thereby maintaining protocol compatibility while removing the deployment barrier of requiring universal endpoint upgrades.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring endpoints to support multipath protocols directly, the patent inverts the approach by implementing multipath functionality at the network relay layer. This allows endpoints to use simple single-path protocols while the relay handles multipath routing and protocol translation, thereby ensuring compatibility without requiring endpoint upgrades and creating strong deployment incentives.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for processing packet streams associated with stream-based transport connection to thereby enable communication between a source host and one or more destination hosts.