Maximizing bandwidth utilization in networks with high latencies and packet drops using transmission control protocol

A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions, the instructions being configured for execution by a processor and configured to cause the processor to transmit data over a network while avoiding congestion, the transmission being performed according to a protocol that utilizes a sliding window, the instructions being further configured to cause the processor to:

• calculate the round trip times (RTT) of transmitted segments;
• and
• modify the size of a sending window based on the calculated RTT and the rate of change of the calculated RTT, wherein said modifications are not dependent on transmission rates;
• control the size of a sending window according to a first mode when transmitting data for the first time;
• and
• control the size of a sending window according to a second mode when re-transmitting already transmitted data upon determination that the already transmitted data may have been dropped by the network, and
• wherein the first and second modes of controlling the size of the sending window differ.

A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions, the instructions being configured for execution by a processor and configured to cause the processor to transmit data over a network while avoiding congestion, the transmission being performed according to a protocol that utilizes a sliding window, the instructions being further configured to cause the processor to:

• calculate the round trip times (RTT) of transmitted segments;
• determine whether a transmitted segment may have been dropped by the network;
• based on the calculated RTT and the determination of whether a segment may have been dropped, determine to operate in one of at least four states, the states indicating progressively larger levels of congestion in the network, wherein
• a first, second and third states of the at least four states are associated with progressively larger RTTs and with an absence of dropped segments, and
• a fourth state of the at least four states is associated with the determination that a segment may have been dropped;
• during operation in the first state, increase the size of a sending window exponentially;
• during operation in the second state, increase the size of a sending window linearly;
• during operation in the third state, decrease the size of the sending window linearly;
• and during operation in the fourth state, decrease the size of the sending window, according to a formula different than that used during the third state.

A computing system connected to a network, the computing system including a processor and a memory, the memory including a plurality of instructions the instructions being configured to cause the processor to transmit data over a network while avoiding congestion, the transmission being performed according to a protocol that utilizes a sliding window, the instructions further causing the processor to perform the steps of:

• calculating the round trip times (RTT) of transmitted segments;
• and
• modifying the size of a sending window based on the calculated RTT and the rate of change of the calculated RTT, wherein said modifications are not dependent on transmission rates;
• controlling the size of a sending window according to a first mode when transmitting data for the first time;
• and
• controlling the size of a sending window according to a second mode when re-transmitting already transmitted data upon determination that the already transmitted data may have been dropped by the network,
• wherein the first and second modes of controlling the size of the sending window differ.

A computing system connected to a network, the computing system including a processor and a memory, the memory including a plurality of instructions the instructions being configured to cause the processor to transmit data over a network while avoiding congestion, the transmission being performed according to a protocol that utilizes a sliding window, the instructions further causing the processor to perform the steps of:

• calculating the round trip times (RTT) of transmitted segments;
• determining whether a transmitted segment may have been dropped by the network;
• based on the calculated RTT and the determination of whether a segment may have been dropped,
• determining to operate in one of at least four states, the states indicating progressively larger levels of congestion in the network, wherein
• a first, second and third states of the at least four states are associated with progressively larger RTTs and with an absence of dropped segments, and
• a fourth state of the at least four states is associated with the determination that a segment may have been dropped;
• during operation in the first state, increasing the size of a sending window exponentially;
• during operation in the second state, increasing the size of a sending window linearly;
• during operation in the third state, decreasing the size of the sending window linearly;
• and during operation in the fourth state, decreasing the size of the sending window, according to a formula different than that used during the third state.