Reducing idle time due to acknowledgement packet delay

A method, in a network switch, for communicating data between a sender computing device and a receiver computing device, comprising:

• receiving a first amount of data corresponding to a window size for a communication connection between the sender computing device and the receiver computing device, wherein the window size specifies an amount of data that is to be transmitted from the sender computing device before waiting for receipt of an acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device;
• receiving a second amount of data, in excess of the first amount of data, from the sender computing device;
• transmitting the first amount of data to the receiver computing device;
• storing the second amount of data in at least one switch port buffer of the network switch without transmitting the second amount of data to the receiver computing device;
• receiving an acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device, the acknowledgement packet acknowledging receipt of the first amount of data;
• and
• in response to receiving the acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device, transmitting the second amount of data from the at least one switch port buffer to the receiver computing device.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

• determine a first amount of data corresponding to a window size for a communication connection between the sender computing device and the receiver computing device, wherein the window size specifies an amount of data that is to be transmitted from the sender computing device before waiting for receipt of an acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device;
• calculate a second amount of data in excess of the first amount of data to be transmitted with the first amount of data from the sender computing device to the receiver computing device;
• and
• transmit the first amount of data and second amount of data from the sender computing device to the receiver computing device, wherein the first amount of data is provided to the receiver computing device in at least one receive buffer of the receiver computing device, and wherein the second amount of data is maintained in at least one switch port buffer of a switch port without being provided to the at least one receive buffer of the receiver computing device.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a network switch device, causes the network switch device to:

• receive a first amount of data corresponding to a window size for a communication connection between the sender computing device and the receiver computing device, wherein the window size specifies an amount of data that is to be transmitted from the sender computing device before waiting for receipt of an acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device;
• receive a second amount of data, in excess of the first amount of data, from the sender computing device;
• transmit the first amount of data to the receiver computing device;
• store the second amount of data in at least one switch port buffer of the network switch without transmitting the second amount of data to the receiver computing device;
• receive an acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device, the acknowledgement packet acknowledging receipt of the first amount of data;
• and
• in response to receiving the acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device, transmit the second amount of data from the at least one switch port buffer to the receiver computing device.

A network switch device, comprising:

• a network switch port buffer;
• and
• network switch port logic coupled to the network switch port buffer, wherein the network switch port buffer:
• receives a first amount of data corresponding to a window size for a communication connection between the sender computing device and the receiver computing device, wherein the window size specifies an amount of data that is to be transmitted from the sender computing device before waiting for receipt of an acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device;
• and
• receives a second amount of data, in excess of the first amount of data, from the sender computing device, and wherein the network switch port logic:
• transmits the first amount of data to the receiver computing device;
• stores the second amount of data in at least one switch port buffer of the network switch without transmitting the second amount of data to the receiver computing device;
• receives an acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device, the acknowledgement packet acknowledging receipt of the first amount of data;
• and
• in response to receiving the acknowledgement packet from the receiver computing device, transmits the second amount of data from the at least one switch port buffer to the receiver computing device.