US 2009/0154356 A1 · FLOW CONTROL MECHANISM USING LOCAL AND GLOBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Abstract

A method of sending data units from a sending node to a receiving node via at least one intermediate node, where: the data units are arranged in a sequence and each data unit is associated with a sequence position identifier; the intermediate node forwards received data units towards the receiving node and sends feedback messages towards the sending node, where in case of a correct receipt of a given data unit at said intermediate node, a corresponding feedback message comprises a first type receive information that indicates said correct receipt at said intermediate node; the receiving node sends feedback messages towards the sending node, where in case of a correct receipt of a given data unit at said receiving node, a corresponding feedback message comprises a second type receive information that indicates said correct receipt at said receiving node; the intermediate node forwards said second type of receipt information towards said sending node and conducts a data unit retransmission procedure in dependence on received receive information; and the sending node conducts a data unit retransmission procedure in dependence on received receipt information of the first and second type, and conducts a data unit flow control procedure for controlling an amount of data that can be sent at a given time in dependence on said first and second type receipt information.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method of sending data units from a sending node to a receiving node via at least one intermediate node, the method comprising:

arranging the data units in a sequence and associating each data unit with a sequence position identifier;
the intermediate node forwarding received data units towards the receiving node and sending feedback messages towards the sending node, where in case of a correct receipt of a given data unit at said intermediate node, a corresponding feedback message comprises a first type receive information that indicates said correct receipt at said intermediate node;
the receiving node sending feedback messages towards the sending node, where in case of a correct receipt of a given data unit at said receiving node, a corresponding feedback message comprises a second type receive information that indicates said correct receipt at said receiving node;
the intermediate node forwarding said second type of receipt information towards said sending node and conducting a data unit retransmission procedure in dependence on received receive information;
and
the sending node
conducting a data unit retransmission procedure in dependence on received receipt information of the first and second type, and
conducting a data unit flow control procedure for controlling an amount of data that can be sent at a given time in dependence on said first and second type receipt information.

5 more elements

A proxy for acting as an intermediate node between a sending node and a receiving node of a data unit communication, said sending node being arranged for sending data units in a sequence, each sent data unit being associated with a sequence position identifier, and for receiving feedback messages that using said sequence position indicators contain data unit receive information, wherein said sending node can interpret at least cumulative acknowledgments and selective acknowledgments in said feedback messages, a cumulative acknowledgment as identifying the last data unit correctly received at the receiving node that has the highest in-sequence sequence position indicator of all data units received at said receiving node, and a selective acknowledgment as indicating that an out-of-sequence data unit was correctly received at said receiving node, and wherein said sending node sends one or more new data units in response to receiving a selective acknowledgment, said proxy comprising:

a data unit receiver for receiving data units from said sending node, a data unit forwarder for forwarding said received data units towards the receiving node, and
a feedback part for communicating the correct receipt of data units at said proxy by sending selective acknowledgments towards said sending node.

A data unit sending node comprising:

a sender for sending data units of a data unit communication in a sequence, each sent data unit being associated with a sequence position identifier, and
a receiver for receiving feedback messages that using said sequence position identifiers contain data unit receive information, and
a controller
for interpreting at least a first type and a second type of data unit receive information in said feedback messages, both types indicating a correct receipt of a data unit,
for conducting a data unit retransmission procedure in dependence on said feedback messages, and
for conducting a data unit flow control procedure for controlling an amount of data that can be sent at a given time in dependence on said feedback messages, said data unit flow control procedure comprising
a first flow control reaction to receiving said first type of receive information for a sequence position identifier for which no first type receive information was previously received, and
a second flow control reaction to receiving said second type of receive information for a sequence position identifier for which no second type receive information was previously received, where said first flow control reaction comprises sending one or more new data units, and said second flow control reaction comprises changing a value of a send rate limitation parameter towards an increase in send rate, and where said first flow control reaction also comprises changing the value of said send rate limitation parameter towards an increase in send rate under a predetermined condition.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flow control mechanism using local and global acknowledgements

Life of this patent

Flow control mechanism using local and global acknowledgements

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28