Method and system for dynamically adjusting packet size to decrease delays of streaming data transmissions on noisy transmission lines

A computing system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a computer-readable memory unit coupled to said processor, wherein said memory unit is a data storage medium containing instructions executable by said processor to implement a method of dynamically adjusting packet size to decrease a delay of a streaming data transmission, said method comprising:
• obtaining a first measurement by a measuring computing unit, wherein said first measurement is selected from the group consisting of a delay of a streaming data transmission being sent from a data transmission server to a client computing unit via a plurality of packets and a frequency of damaged packets of said plurality of packets, said damaged packets contributing to said delay of said streaming data transmission, and wherein said measuring computing unit is said data transmission server or said client computing unit;
• adjusting a packet size by said data transmission server, said packet size being a size associated with each packet of said plurality of packets, said adjusting said packet size including utilizing said first measurement and facilitating a reduction of said delay,
• wherein said delay results from noise on one or more communication link segments over which said streaming data transmission is sent from said data transmission server to said client computing unit, and
• wherein said first measurement is said delay of said streaming data transmission;
• obtaining a target value of said delay that indicates a tolerable delay that does not require an adjustment of any packet included in said streaming data transmission;
• obtaining a first set of one or more measurements of said delay, said first set of one or more measurements obtained in response to one or more expirations of one or more predefined time intervals of a first plurality of predefined time intervals, and said first set of one or more measurements including said first measurement;
• determining that said first measurement is greater than said target value;
• decreasing, by said data transmission server, said packet size by a first predefined amount, said decreasing said packet size including changing said packet size from a pre-decrease size to a decreased size, and said decreasing said packet size performed in response to said determining that said first measurement is greater than said target value;
• obtaining a new measurement of said delay, said obtaining said new measurement subsequent to said decreasing said packet size and subsequent to a predefined waiting period;
• determining a characteristic of said new measurement, wherein said characteristic of said new measurement is selected from the group consisting of said new measurement is less than said target value, said new measurement is less than said first measurement but not less than said target value, and said new measurement is greater than or equal to said first measurement;
• obtaining a second set of one or more measurements of said delay if said characteristic is said new measurement is less than said target value, said obtaining said second set of one or more measurements of said delay performed by said measuring computing unit, and said second set of one or more measurements obtained in response to one or more expirations of one or more predefined time intervals of a second plurality of predefined time intervals;
• decreasing said packet size by an additional amount if said characteristic is said new measurement is less than said first measurement but not less than said target value, said decreasing said packet size by said additional amount performed by said data transmission server;
• and
• restoring said packet size to said pre-decrease size if said characteristic is said new measurement is greater than or equal to said first measurement, said restoring performed by said data transmission server.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions executable by a processor of a computer system to implement a method of dynamically adjusting packet size to decrease a delay of a streaming data transmission, said method comprising:

• obtaining a first measurement by a measuring computing unit, wherein said first measurement is selected from the group consisting of a delay of a streaming data transmission being sent from a data transmission server to a client computing unit via a plurality of packets and a frequency of damaged packets of said plurality of packets, said damaged packets contributing to said delay of said streaming data transmission, and wherein said measuring computing unit is said data transmission server or said client computing unit;
• and
• adjusting a packet size by said data transmission server, said packet size being a size associated with each packet of said plurality of packets, wherein said adjusting said packet size includes utilizing said first measurement and computer-usable code for facilitating a reduction of said delay,
• wherein said delay results from noise on one or more communication link segments over which said streaming data transmission is sent from said data transmission server to said client computing unit, and
• wherein said first measurement is said delay of said streaming data transmission;
• obtaining a target value of said delay that indicates a tolerable delay that does not require an adjustment of any packet included in said streaming data transmission;
• obtaining a first set of one or more measurements of said delay, said first set of one or more measurements obtained in response to one or more expirations of one or more predefined time intervals of a first plurality of predefined time intervals, and said first set of one or more measurements including said first measurement;
• determining that said first measurement is greater than said target value;
• decreasing, by said data transmission server, said packet size by a first predefined amount, wherein said decreasing said packet size includes changing said packet size from a pre-decrease size to a decreased size, wherein said decreasing said packet size is performed in response to said determining that said first measurement is greater than said target value;
• obtaining a new measurement of said delay, said obtaining said new measurement being subsequent to said decreasing said packet size and subsequent to a predefined waiting period;
• determining a characteristic of said new measurement, wherein said characteristic of said new measurement is selected from the group consisting of said new measurement is less than said target value, said new measurement is less than said first measurement but not less than said target value, and said new measurement is greater than or equal to said first measurement;
• obtaining a second set of one or more measurements of said delay if said characteristic is said new measurement is less than said target value, said obtaining said second set of one or more measurements of said delay performed by said measuring computing unit, and said second set of one or more measurements obtained in response to one or more expirations of one or more predefined time intervals of a second plurality of predefined time intervals;
• decreasing said packet size by an additional amount if said characteristic is said new measurement is less than said first measurement but not less than said target value, said decreasing said packet size by said additional amount performed by said data transmission server;
• and
• restoring said packet size to said pre-decrease size if said characteristic is said new measurement is greater than or equal to said first measurement, said restoring performed by said data transmission server.

A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system comprising a processor, wherein said computer-readable code includes instructions that when carried out by said processor, causes the computing system to specify a method of dynamically adjusting packet size to decrease a delay of a streaming data transmission, said method comprising:

• obtaining a first measurement by a measuring computing unit, wherein said first measurement is selected from the group consisting of a delay of a streaming data transmission being sent from a data transmission server to a client computing unit via a plurality of packets and a frequency of damaged packets of said plurality of packets, said damaged packets contributing to said delay of said streaming data transmission, and wherein said measuring computing unit is said data transmission server or said client computing unit;
• adjusting a packet size by said data transmission server, said packet size being a size associated with each packet of said plurality of packets, said adjusting said packet size including utilizing said first measurement and facilitating a reduction of said delay,
• wherein said delay results from noise on one or more communication link segments over which said streaming data transmission is sent from said data transmission server to said client computing unit, and
• wherein said first measurement is said delay of said streaming data transmission;
• obtaining a target value of said delay that indicates a tolerable delay that does not require an adjustment of any packet included in said streaming data transmission;
• obtaining a first set of one or more measurements of said delay, said first set of one or more measurements obtained in response to one or more expirations of one or more predefined time intervals of a first plurality of predefined time intervals, and said first set of one or more measurements including said first measurement;
• determining that said first measurement is greater than said target value;
• decreasing, by said data transmission server, said packet size by a first predefined amount, said decreasing said packet size including changing said packet size from a pre-decrease size to a decreased size, and said decreasing said packet size performed in response to said determining that said first measurement is greater than said target value;
• obtaining a new measurement of said delay, said obtaining said new measurement subsequent to said decreasing said packet size and subsequent to a predefined waiting period;
• determining a characteristic of said new measurement, wherein said characteristic of said new measurement is selected from the group consisting of said new measurement is less than said target value, said new measurement is less than said first measurement but not less than said target value, and said new measurement is greater than or equal to said first measurement;
• obtaining a second set of one or more measurements of said delay if said characteristic is said new measurement is less than said target value, said obtaining said second set of one or more measurements of said delay performed by said measuring computing unit, and said second set of one or more measurements obtained in response to one or more expirations of one or more predefined time intervals of a second plurality of predefined time intervals;
• decreasing said packet size by an additional amount if said characteristic is said new measurement is less than said first measurement but not less than said target value, said decreasing said packet size by said additional amount performed by said data transmission server;
• and
• restoring said packet size to said pre-decrease size if said characteristic is said new measurement is greater than or equal to said first measurement, said restoring performed by said data transmission server.