Data transmission utilizing pre-emptive acknowledgements with transaction-oriented protocols
AssigneeApple Computer, Inc.
InventorTed W. Walker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modified stream-based protocol implementation is employed within a network environment to compensate for inefficiencies associated with conventional stream based protocols, such as TCP. Characteristics of a transaction-based protocol are advantageously utilized in client/server data transactions to reduce the number of acknowledgment signals sent upon receipt of data, as well as eliminate delays associated with the buffering of data at the server. These results are accomplished without requiring changes to servers using standard stream-based protocols.
Claims14
A client computer, comprising:
- means for issuing a request for data;
- means for determining the amount of data to be received in response to said request;
- means for monitoring received data and detecting when the remaining amount of data to be received is less than a predetermined amount;
- and
- means for sending a preemptive acknowledgment in response to said detection.
A computer for communicating over a network, comprising:
- means for transmitting a request and means for receiving at least one transmission packet;
- means for determining whether said request conforms to a transaction-based protocol;
- means for determining the maximum amount of data in a transmission packet and the total amount of data to be received when said request conforms to a transaction-based protocol;
- and
- means for issuing an acknowledgment only when an amount of data remaining to be received is less than said maximum amount of data in a transmission packet.
A computer-readable medium containing a program that executes the following steps:
- issuing a request for data;
- determining the amount of data to be received in response to said request;
- monitoring received data and detecting when the remaining amount of data to be received is less than a predetermined amount;
- and
- sending a preemptive acknowledgment in response to said detection.
A computer-readable medium containing a program that executes the following steps:
- transmitting a request for data;
- determining whether said request conforms to a transaction-based protocol;
- determining the maximum amount of data in a transmission packet and the total amount of data to be received when said request conforms to a transaction-based protocol;
- and
- issuing an acknowledgment only when an amount of data remaining to be received is less than said maximum amount of data in a transmission packet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.