Dynamic TCP proxy selection for acceleration of short network flows

Non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon instructions for transmitting, over a transport network, data belonging to a data flow, the instructions comprising instructions for:

• creating a proxy network including a plurality of transport network proxies;
• defining a plurality of proxy pairs, each proxy pair including two of the plurality of transport network proxies;
• defining a plurality of proxy pair links, each of the plurality of proxy pair links connecting one proxy of a proxy pair to the other proxy of the proxy pair;
• determining, for each proxy pair link, a round trip time (RTT) of the respective proxy pair link;
• determining, using the determined RTTs of the plurality of proxy pair links, a list of one or more preferred paths for each proxy pair, each preferred path connecting, via one or more of the plurality of proxy pair links, one proxy of the respective proxy pair to the other proxy of the respective proxy pair;
• and
• transmitting, from an ingress proxy selected from the plurality of transport network proxies to an egress proxy selected from the plurality of the transport network proxies, the data belonging to the data flow over a proxy pair path selected from a list of preferred proxy pair paths for the proxy pair including the ingress proxy and the egress proxy,
• wherein each preferred path in the list of one or more preferred paths for a particular proxy pair includes a maximum link RTT and a total path RTT,
• wherein for each pair of preferred paths for a particular proxy pair, one preferred path of the respective pair of preferred paths has a greater maximum link RTT and a lesser total path RTT as compared to the other preferred path of the respective pair of preferred paths, and
• wherein the proxy pair path is selected from the list of preferred proxy paths for the proxy pair including the ingress proxy and the egress proxy based on a flow size of the data flow, the flow size being determined based on one or more of a content length field in an application layer header, statistics generated from past connections to a destination, and information regarding content sizes served by a destination.

A system for transmitting, over a transport network, data belonging to a data flow, the system comprising:

• one or more processors configured to:
• create a proxy network including a plurality of transport network proxies;
• define a plurality of proxy pairs, each proxy pair including two of the plurality of transport network proxies;
• define a plurality of proxy pair links, each of the plurality of proxy pair links connecting one proxy of a proxy pair to the other proxy of the proxy pair;
• determine, for each proxy pair link, a round trip time (RTT) of the respective proxy pair link;
• determine, using the determined RTTs of the plurality of proxy pair links, a list of one or more preferred paths for each proxy pair, each preferred path connecting, via one or more of the plurality of proxy pair links, one proxy of the respective proxy pair to the other proxy of the respective proxy pair;
• and
• transmit, from an ingress proxy selected from the plurality of transport network proxies to an egress proxy selected from the plurality of the transport network proxies, the data belonging to the data flow over a proxy pair path selected from a list of preferred proxy pair paths for the proxy pair including the ingress proxy and the egress proxy,
• wherein each preferred path in the list of one or more preferred paths for a particular proxy pair includes a maximum link RTT and a total path RTT,
• wherein for each pair of preferred paths for a particular proxy pair, one preferred path of the respective pair of preferred paths has a greater maximum link RTT and a lesser total path RTT as compared to the other preferred path of the respective pair of preferred paths, and
• wherein the proxy pair path is selected from the list of preferred proxy paths for the proxy pair including the ingress proxy and the egress proxy based on a flow size of the data flow, the flow size being determined based on one or more of a content length field in an application layer header, statistics generated from past connections to a destination, and information regarding content sizes served by a destination.