TCP/SN Scheduled Network Per-Flow Throughput
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current TCP/IP networks lack the ability to provide per-flow guaranteed throughput and goodput, leading to issues such as packet drops, congestion collapse, and quality collapse, especially when multiple flows share network links, and are susceptible to Denial-of-Service attacks.
Innovation Solution
A system and method, referred to as TCP/SN, that utilizes a scheduled network with guaranteed bandwidth and schedulable buffers to ensure per-flow guaranteed throughput and zero packet drops, eliminating the need for congestion signaling and allowing for deterministic bandwidth provisioning across multiple TCP flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP uses conventional packet-switched networks with shared links, then network resource utilization is improved through fair sharing among flows, but per-flow guaranteed throughput cannot be provided and packet drops occur causing TCP to reduce sending rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into dedicated virtual circuits (VCs) for each TCP flow, where each VC is assigned a guaranteed portion of link bandwidth. This segmentation allows per-flow throughput guarantees while maintaining overall network utilization through controlled sharing of physical infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces network-layer intermediaries (routers/switches) that implement virtual circuit switching and bandwidth management. These intermediaries act as mediators between TCP flows and shared network links, enforcing guaranteed bandwidth allocations and preventing packet drops that would trigger TCP congestion control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple TCP flows share a network link with equal bandwidth provisioning, then fairness among flows is improved, but users cannot specify particular bandwidth provisioning among different flows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bandwidth provisioning where each virtual circuit can be configured with different guaranteed bandwidth allocations based on user requirements. The system dynamically manages multiple VCs with heterogeneous bandwidth assignments, allowing users to specify particular provisioning levels while the system adapts to maintain overall link utilization.
3Reliability
If TCP relies on packet drops as congestion signaling, then congestion detection is improved through simple mechanisms, but packet drops cause TCP to reduce sending rate and eliminate deterministic throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the harmful effect of packet drops by using virtual circuit switching with guaranteed bandwidth allocation. Instead of relying on packet drops as congestion signals, the system prevents drops entirely through proactive bandwidth management, converting the harmful drop mechanism into a benefit of deterministic throughput delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
A software and hardware system that provides for per flow guaranteed throughput and goodput for packet data flows using network transport protocols that have window-based flow control mechanisms or TCP-friendly flow control mechanisms. The system and method for guaranteed throughput of individual flows in turn enables a method for provisioning link bandwidth among multiple flows and provisioning network throughput and goodput at the granularity of individual flows. The invention also eliminates Layer 3 packet drops for a data flow using window-based flow control or TCP-friendly flow control, which in turn obviates congestion collapse and quality collapse scenarios.