Network Offloading Interleaving Reduces Packet Loss

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network offloading methods often lead to router buffer exhaustion and data packet drops when transmitting large segments over networks with significant speed disparities between the transmitting and receiving clients, and they either overburden the CPU or are limited to supporting only ACK-based protocols.

Innovation Solution

A method and device that reduce the transmission rate to slower clients by interleaving data packets from multiple segments, allowing for reduced packet loss and buffer exhaustion while maintaining overall transmission efficiency and supporting arbitrary protocols, including those that do not use ACKs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If data packets are transmitted at a fast rate to match the transmitting unit's data transmission rate, then the transmission efficiency is improved, but router buffer exhaustion and packet loss occur due to the receiving client's slower data reception rate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission efficiencyVSAvoidpacket loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The transmitting unit divides a large segment of data into multiple smaller data packets before transmission. This segmentation allows the system to manage transmission more effectively by sending packets in controlled batches rather than as a continuous stream, enabling better adaptation to the receiving client's processing capacity while maintaining overall transmission efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The transmitting unit implements periodic transmission by sending data packets in intervals rather than continuously. The system transmits a certain number of packets, then pauses to allow the receiving client to process them at its own pace. This periodic action prevents buffer exhaustion at routers while maintaining good utilization of the network bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If the transmission rate is reduced to match the receiving client's data reception rate, then packet loss and buffer exhaustion are reduced, but the overall transmission efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket lossVSAvoidtransmission efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The transmitting unit merges multiple segments of data into a single transmission stream, interleaving packets from different segments. This merging allows the system to maintain a higher effective transmission rate by keeping the network pipeline full while still respecting the receiving client's processing capacity through intelligent packet scheduling and interleaving.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Use of energy by moving object

If hardware network offloading is implemented to reduce CPU usage, then processing efficiency is improved, but the system sends packets at a fast rate causing router buffer exhaustion

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveCPU usageVSAvoidpacket loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The hardware network offloading system implements dynamic transmission control by adjusting the packet transmission rate based on real-time conditions. The system monitors network status and receiving client capacity, dynamically modifying transmission parameters such as packet size, transmission intervals, and interleaving patterns to optimize both CPU utilization and network reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If software-based transmission control is used to manage packet rates, then packet loss is reduced, but CPU usage increases substantially

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket lossVSAvoidCPU usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces software-based transmission control with hardware-based network offloading. The hardware component directly manages packet transmission, segmentation, and rate control, eliminating the need for intensive CPU processing. This substitution maintains reliable packet delivery through built-in hardware mechanisms while dramatically reducing CPU usage and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS8761164B2Network offloading with reduced packet loss

Publication Date: 2014.06.24 AXIS

AI summary

The invention relates to a method of transmitting a first segment of data via a data network from a transmitting unit having a first data transmission rate to a first destination having a first data reception rate. Where the first data transmission rate is larger than the first data reception rate, the method comprising: effectively reducing the first transmission rate from the transmitting unit to the first destination by switching between transmitting at least a part of the first segment as one or more data packets to the first destination in a direction only from the transmitting unit to the first destination, and transmitting at least a part of second segment as one or more data packets to one or more additional destinations in a direction only from the transmitting unit to the one or more additional destinations, the switching being repeated until said first segment and/or at least said second segment has been transmitted. In this way, the packet rate to a client is reduced while the total packet rate for the transmitting system is maintained whereby a decreased probability of packet loss and/or of router buffer exhaustion is achieved since data to relatively slower client will not be transmitted at full rate.