Network Transfer Protocol for Firewalled File Transfers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current communication protocols, such as TCP and UDP, are inadequate for reliable and efficient file transfers over networks, especially when dealing with firewalled nodes, as TCP is inefficient and UDP is unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A reliable packet-based network transfer protocol utilizing the basic structure of UDP with a small header, enabling packet acknowledgment and retransmission, and employing UDP hole punching for firewalled nodes to facilitate direct file transfers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP protocol is used for reliable file transfer, then data delivery reliability is improved, but protocol complexity and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential reliability mechanisms from TCP (acknowledgment and retransmission) while discarding the complex stream-based delivery, sequencing, and flow control mechanisms. This creates a simplified protocol that achieves reliability for file transfer without TCP's full complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol segments file transfer into discrete packet operations with simple acknowledgment and retransmission, separating the reliability function from the stream delivery function. Each packet is treated independently with explicit acknowledgment requests, simplifying the overall protocol structure.
2Productivity
If UDP protocol is used for efficient file transfer, then transmission speed is improved, but data delivery reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges UDP's speed advantages with selective reliability mechanisms. It combines UDP's simple packet structure and fast transmission with acknowledgment and retransmission features, creating a hybrid approach that achieves both speed and reliability for file transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol applies reliability mechanisms partially - only for file transfer operations where reliability is needed, rather than implementing full TCP-style reliability for all communications. Acknowledgments and retransmissions are used selectively to maintain speed while ensuring file transfer completeness.
3Reliability
If TCP protocol is used for file transfer between firewalled nodes, then reliable delivery is achieved, but efficiency and speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol uses simple, lightweight packet structures with minimal header overhead, treating each transmission as a discrete operation rather than maintaining complex persistent connections. This disposable approach to packet handling reduces overhead and improves efficiency for firewalled node communications.
4Productivity
If UDP protocol is used for file transfer between firewalled nodes, then transmission speed is maintained, but reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol implements feedback through acknowledgment packets - the receiver sends acknowledgments back to the sender to confirm successful receipt of data packets. This feedback mechanism ensures reliability while maintaining UDP's speed advantages, as the acknowledgment process is lightweight and does not significantly slow down transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and computer program products facilitate communication on a network by transmitting a communication on the network from a first node to a second node, the communication including a first segment and a second segment. The first segment consists essentially of a destination port and a data length of the communication, and the second segment includes a payload and at least one of a connection ID, a sequence number, and an opcode. A responsive communication is then received from the second node, the responsive communication acknowledging receipt of the communication transmitted from the first node.