Network Device Local Acknowledgment Generation for TCP Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) mechanism causes latency in communication, especially over long distances, due to the need for sequential acknowledgement of data packets, which cannot be mitigated by increasing bandwidth alone.
Innovation Solution
A network device monitors data traffic and generates acknowledgments locally, allowing the sending of subsequent data frames without waiting for distant acknowledgments, thereby reducing latency and optimizing communication by filtering out unnecessary acknowledgments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP protocol requires sequential acknowledgement of data packets between distant parties, then communication reliability is maintained, but communication latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network device (e.g., router, switch, or gateway) as an intermediary that generates synthetic acknowledgments locally without waiting for responses from the distant communication party. This intermediary mechanism decouples the acknowledgment process from the actual remote response, maintaining protocol reliability while eliminating round-trip latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The network device performs preliminary acknowledgment generation based on predetermined conditions (such as receiving data frames or detecting specific patterns) before actual remote confirmation is received. This preliminary action allows the transmitting device to continue sending data without waiting for distant acknowledgments, thus reducing latency while maintaining communication reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If bandwidth of communication channel is increased, then data transfer capacity is improved, but latency caused by TCP mechanism remains unchanged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the acknowledgment generation function from the distant communication party and relocates it to a local network device. This separation allows bandwidth increases to directly improve data transfer capacity without being constrained by the unchanged TCP acknowledgment latency, as the synthetic acknowledgments are generated locally independent of remote response times.
3Reliability
If both communicating parties acknowledge receipt of data in both directions, then communication reliability is enhanced, but communication speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The network device provides self-service by generating its own synthetic acknowledgments based on local observations of data traffic patterns and predetermined conditions. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for slow round-trip acknowledgments from distant parties, thereby enhancing communication speed while maintaining reliability through local verification and acknowledgment generation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a communication of a first communicating device to a second communicating device over a communication network, the method comprises: monitoring data traffic to the communication network from the first communication device, in response to detection of at least one predetermined piece of information generating an acknowledgment complying a communication protocol used for the communication, and transmitting the generated acknowledgement to the first communication device for indicating a delivery of the data traffic to the second communicating device. The invention also relates to a network device and a computer program product.