Limiting TCP network traffic in a safety critical environment

A method for sending a plurality of frames, the method comprising:

• determining an available bandwidth based on a token bucket value, the available bandwidth indicating whether sufficient bandwidth is available to send a first frame of the plurality of frames;
• delaying the first frame by storing the first frame and storing a characteristic of the delayed first frame;
• determining whether the delayed first frame and an accepted second frame of the plurality of frames are identical by comparing the characteristic of the delayed first frame with a characteristic of the second frame, wherein the characteristic of at least one of the delayed first frame and the delayed second frame is at least one of a checksum, a frame length, a sequence, and an acknowledgement number;
• comparing the characteristics of the delayed first frame and the delayed second frame in the following order of priority:
• the checksum, the frame length, the sequence, and the acknowledgement number in order;
• either one of:
• (i) sending the delayed first frame and dropping the second frame in response to the delayed first frame and the second frame being identical;
• and
• (ii) sending the delayed first frame and delaying the second frame by storing the second frame and storing a characteristic of the second frame in response to the first frame and the second frame being different;
• and
• causing the processing electronics to stop comparing the characteristics of the delayed first frame and the delayed second frame once one of the characteristics is determined to be identical.

A method of policing and shaping traffic in a transmission control protocol system, the method comprising:

• accepting a plurality of frames in a sequential order;
• determining an available bandwidth based on a token bucket value, the available bandwidth indicating whether sufficient bandwidth is available to send an earlier accepted frame of the plurality of frames;
• delaying sending the earlier accepted frame by storing the earlier accepted frame and storing a characteristic of the delayed earlier accepted frame;
• determining whether the delayed earlier accepted frame and a later accepted frame are identical by comparing the characteristic of the delayed earlier accepted frame with a characteristic of later accepted frame;
• comparing the characteristics of the delayed first frame and the delayed second frame in the following order of priority:
• the checksum, the frame length, the sequence, and the acknowledgement number in order;
• and
• for each accepted frame of the plurality of accepted frames, either one of:
• (i) conduct a traffic policing process;
• or
• (ii) conduct a traffic shaping process;
• wherein for at least one of the accepted frames, the system switches from the traffic policing process to the traffic shaping process.