TCP Flow Control Optimization via Transparent Window Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
TCP's flow control algorithm leads to inefficiencies and lower throughput in network applications due to latency, as it restricts data transmission based on the receiver's window size, which is inadequate for high-latency networks, causing idle times and misinterpretation of network errors.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that bi-directionally monitors TCP flows to identify latency-limited packet flows and optimizes the window size in the receiver's acknowledgment packets, allowing for increased data transmission without altering TCP's core algorithms, thereby minimizing idle times and improving throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP flow control algorithm is used to prevent receiver buffer overflow, then receiver buffer reliability is improved, but network throughput deteriorates due to idle waiting times in high-latency networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (transparent optimization device) that sits between the sender and receiver to modify acknowledgment packets. This device intercepts ACK packets from the receiver, increases the window size field in these packets before forwarding them to the sender, thereby enabling the sender to transmit more data without actually increasing the receiver's buffer size. This resolves the contradiction by decoupling the flow control window size from the actual receiver buffer capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent directly modifies the window size parameter in TCP acknowledgment packets. By transparently increasing the window size field in ACK packets without altering the actual receiver buffer size, the system enables larger data transmission windows that better utilize network bandwidth in high-latency environments while maintaining receiver buffer reliability.
2Reliability
If small window size is used to match receiver buffer capacity, then receiver buffer reliability is maintained, but data transmission efficiency deteriorates due to frequent idle waiting
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent optimization device acts as an intermediary that modifies ACK packets to contain larger window sizes than the actual receiver buffer capacity. This allows the sender to maintain a larger transmission window and reduces idle waiting time, while the receiver's actual buffer size remains unchanged to maintain reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system preliminarily increases the window size in ACK packets before the sender transmits data. By proactively modifying the window size parameter in advance, the sender is enabled to transmit larger amounts of data without waiting, thereby reducing idle time while the receiver prepares its buffer appropriately.
3Reliability
If TCP flow control is implemented to ensure reliable data transfer, then data transfer reliability is improved, but network bandwidth utilization deteriorates due to conservative transmission limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transparent optimization device that intermediates between the receiver's actual buffer capacity and the sender's transmission window. By modifying ACK packets to report larger window sizes, it enables the sender to utilize more network bandwidth while the receiver's actual buffer capacity remains sufficient to maintain data transfer reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method that optimizes transmission control protocol (TCP) flow control without intruding upon TCP's core algorithms. A control module relatively near a sender's local area network (LAN) automatically identifies a packet flow that has become window-limited. After the packet flow has been identified as window-limited, the control module relatively near the sender's LAN and another control module relatively near a receiver's LAN optimize the packet flow by increasing the window size indicated in the receiver's acknowledgment packet. Both control modules operate synchronously to transparently manage the packet flow between the sender and the receiver.