Packet Shaper for Network Flow Control Buffer Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In packet-switched networks like Ethernet, the delay in receiving and acting on flow-control messages leads to buffer overfill issues, requiring significant headroom buffer space to handle residual packets, which strains memory resources and limits network scalability.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a shaper to throttle data packet transmission based on packet sizes, allowing smaller packets to be transmitted at reduced rates and larger packets at full wire speed, while ensuring sufficient headroom buffer space by controlling cell consumption rates, thereby optimizing buffer allocation and network throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If headroom buffer space is increased to handle residual packets during flow control delays, then lossless operation is ensured, but memory resources are strained and network scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitter proactively shapes the packet transmission rate before buffer overflow can occur at the receiver. By controlling the outgoing packet rate based on packet size and link characteristics, the system prevents the need for large headroom buffers at the receiver, thus ensuring lossless operation while conserving memory resources
Solution Approach 2:
The invention dynamically adjusts the transmission rate parameter based on packet size. Different packet sizes are transmitted at different rates, with smaller packets transmitted more slowly to prevent buffer overflow, while larger packets maintain higher transmission rates. This parameter adaptation eliminates the need for excessive headroom buffer space
2Productivity
If transmission rate is maintained at full wire speed for all packet sizes, then network throughput is maximized, but buffer overflow occurs during flow control delays
Solution Approach 1:
Different transmission rates are applied to different packet sizes. Small packets, which consume buffer space inefficiently relative to their size, are transmitted at reduced rates. Large packets are transmitted at full wire speed. This localized quality adjustment optimizes both throughput and buffer utilization without unnecessary throughput loss
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of reducing all transmission rates uniformly, the invention applies rate limiting only to specific packet sizes that pose the greatest buffer overflow risk. This partial action approach maintains high throughput for less problematic traffic while preventing buffer overflow from problematic small packets
Data Source
AI summary
Communication apparatus includes a memory, which is configured to hold data packets, having respective packet sizes, for transmission over a data link, and a transmitter, which is configured to transmit the data packets over the data link at a bit rate determined by a wire speed of the data link. A shaper is coupled to throttle transmission of the data packets by the transmitter responsively to the respective packet sizes, whereby some of the data packets are transmitted over the data link at a transmission rate that is less than the bit rate.