Packet Communication Apparatus Buffer Segmentation for Congestion Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication apparatuses face challenges in managing burst traffic, leading to congestion and packet loss, making it difficult to analyze the cause of congestion incidents and stabilize network operations, especially with increasing network users and potential malicious activities.
Innovation Solution
A packet communication apparatus that mirrors CPU-destined or CPU-originated packets to a reception or transmission history buffer, allowing for the analysis of packet reception and transmission history by copying packets to corresponding buffers and saving them in a storage area based on buffer usage, enabling detailed analysis of congestion incidents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If packets are retained in the reception buffer to prevent packet loss during burst traffic, then packet loss is reduced, but when burst traffic exceeds capacity, congestion occurs causing packet loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the buffer system into multiple independent buffers (reception buffer, transmission buffer, and history buffers). Each buffer handles specific packet types or traffic conditions, allowing the system to manage congestion more effectively without requiring a single oversized buffer, thus resolving the contradiction between preventing packet loss and managing buffer capacity requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements history buffers that preliminarily store packet information before congestion occurs. By maintaining historical records of packet data in separate buffers, the system can analyze congestion causes and implement preventive measures before packet loss occurs, improving reliability without requiring excessive buffer capacity for active packet retention.
2Reliability
If the reception buffer is enlarged to accommodate more packets, then packet loss during congestion is reduced, but the ability to locate responsible traffic for congestion analysis becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments packet storage into multiple dedicated buffers with specific functions. The reception buffer handles incoming packets, the transmission buffer handles outgoing packets, and separate history buffers store historical packet information. This segmentation allows the system to maintain adequate packet storage capacity while preserving detailed historical records for congestion analysis, thus resolving the contradiction between packet loss reduction and congestion cause analysis capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The history buffers act as intermediaries between the main packet processing buffers and the analysis function. By storing historical packet information in separate history buffers, the system preserves detailed records of packet transactions that can be analyzed to locate congestion causes, while the main buffers continue to handle packet loss prevention without being overloaded with historical data.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If packet mirroring is implemented to analyze congestion causes, then congestion analysis capability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional buffers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements segmentation by creating separate history buffers dedicated to storing historical packet information. These history buffers are distinct from the main reception and transmission buffers, allowing the system to maintain clear functional separation. This segmentation enables congestion analysis capability while managing device complexity through structured, modular buffer organization rather than a monolithic complex structure.
4Loss of information
If multiple history buffers are provided for packet copying, then packet history analysis is enabled, but the volume of data to be managed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments packet data management into multiple specialized buffers. Each buffer handles specific packet types or time periods, allowing the system to retain important historical information while managing data volume through structured organization. The segmentation enables selective retention of critical packet history without requiring a single monolithic large buffer, thus balancing information retention with data volume management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating history buffers with specific characteristics tailored to different packet types or time periods. Each history buffer is optimized for its specific function, allowing the system to retain detailed packet history information where needed while avoiding unnecessary data storage elsewhere, thus managing data volume effectively while maintaining comprehensive packet history analysis capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A packet communication apparatus is configured to relay packets transmitted and received between information processing apparatuses. The packet communication apparatus includes: a network interface connectable to a network; a CPU to be a destination of at least one of a plurality of packets to be received through the network interface; a first buffer configured to hold the packets destined to the CPU in order to output the packets to the CPU; a second buffer having a plurality of planes and configured to hold copies of the packets destined to the CPU held in the first buffer in one of the plurality of planes; and a reception history controller configured to store a copy of a packet to a specified plane of the second buffer or to save copies of packets held in the second buffer to another storage area based on usage of the first buffer.