Node Interface Indicators for Ordered Packet Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
In data networks, maintaining ordered delivery of data packets becomes challenging when designated communications channels are taken out of service, especially when packets need to be sent to multiple destination nodes, as there is no guarantee of order across different channels, leading to potential out-of-order receipt and increased overhead in tracking affected destinations.
Innovation Solution
The network device maintains a status of communications channels, pausing data packet transmission for streams with packets 'in flight' when a channel change occurs and ensuring a new channel selection does not result in out-of-order delivery by using a node interface configuration module to manage communications channels and store configuration indicators, ensuring packets are sent only when order is guaranteed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data packets are transmitted over multiple communications channels to different destination nodes, then data transfer efficiency is improved, but delivery order cannot be guaranteed across channels
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining a status indicator for each communications channel that reflects whether packets are currently being transmitted. Before transmitting a packet, the system checks the status of the designated channel. If packets are already in flight, the transmission is delayed until the channel status changes, ensuring that packets from the same stream are delivered in order while still allowing efficient use of multiple channels when available.
2Reliability
If a communications channel is taken out of service for maintenance or power reduction, then system reliability or energy efficiency is improved, but tracking overhead increases when switching channels
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of channel status by maintaining a simple binary indicator (packets in flight or not) for each communications channel. When a channel is taken out of service or its status changes, the indicator is updated. This simple parameter change approach allows the system to track channel availability efficiently without complex tracking mechanisms, reducing overhead while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If data packet transmission is paused when channel status changes occur, then delivery order is guaranteed, but transmission delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission behavior based on real-time channel status. Rather than pausing all transmissions indefinitely, the system checks the channel status indicator at each transmission opportunity. If packets are in flight, transmission of subsequent packets from the same stream is temporarily delayed. Once the channel status changes (indicating packets have been received), transmission resumes automatically. This dynamic approach minimizes delays while ensuring order delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques described herein provide for sending data packets from source to destination nodes. Indicators, such as counters, may determine the configuration of node interfaces. The data packets may be sent based on a comparison of current and stored indicators.