TCP Connection Interception for Status Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for providing status-based messaging in computer networks, such as the Internet, are unreliable and inefficient, particularly in ensuring timely delivery of messages related to network or user account status, as they rely on active WAN connections and may not guarantee prompt notification during network outages or when users are infrequently accessing resources.
Innovation Solution
Intercepting TCP connections to specific ports like 80 and 443 for targeted, status-based messaging under predefined conditions, such as data quota alerts or network outages, and routing these messages through a local server to ensure timely and reliable delivery, even without an active WAN connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current methods for providing status-based messaging are used (relying on active WAN connections), then message delivery can occur when users are actively accessing resources, but message delivery is unreliable and delayed during network outages or when users are infrequently accessing resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes TCP connections to specific ports (80, 443) in advance and maintains them in a pooled state, ready for immediate message delivery. This preliminary action ensures that when status messages need to be delivered, pre-established connections are available, eliminating the need to wait for active user access or establish new connections during outages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary messaging system that intercepts TCP connections at the network level and routes messages through pooled connections to end users. This intermediary layer decouples message delivery from active user access, allowing reliable delivery even when users are not actively accessing resources or during network outages.
2Reliability
If TCP connections are intercepted and pooled for message delivery, then message delivery becomes reliable and timely, but system complexity increases due to connection management infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes TCP connection pools serve multiple functions: they handle both normal traffic routing and status message delivery. By making the connection infrastructure universal, the system avoids building separate dedicated messaging infrastructure, thereby limiting the increase in complexity while achieving reliable message delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically manages TCP connection pooling, interception, and routing without requiring manual intervention. Connection management tasks such as establishing, maintaining, and routing connections are performed autonomously by the system, reducing operational complexity despite the enhanced functionality.
3Reliability
If all TCP connections are intercepted for messaging, then no messages are missed, but normal traffic routing is disrupted and system performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies interception selectively only to specific TCP ports (80, 443) rather than all TCP connections. This local quality approach ensures that messaging functionality is implemented where most needed (web traffic ports) while leaving other traffic flows unaffected, maintaining overall system productivity and avoiding unnecessary disruption to normal traffic routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial interception of TCP connections, focusing on establishing pooled connections to specific ports rather than intercepting and processing every single TCP connection. This partial action approach provides sufficient message delivery capability without the excessive overhead of comprehensive connection interception, balancing reliability with performance.
Data Source
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AI summary
An approach is provided for reliable provision of targeted, status-based messaging to a client terminal in a computer network, such as a wide area resource-based network. A terminal node receives a message originating from a client terminal, wherein the terminal node serves as an entry point to, and services communications connections over, a wide area network for the client terminal. The terminal node determines that the message comprises an initiation request for establishing a communications connection over the wide area network between the client terminal and a remote server, and that an intercept state is in effect. The terminal node establishes the communications connection as a local connection between the client terminal and the terminal node, and services the communications connection via a local server function, wherein the servicing of the communications connection via the local server function comprises a provision of status-based messaging to the client terminal.