Using packet duplication in a packet-switched network to increase reliability
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorPaul John Tillotson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques and solutions for performing packet duplication in a packet-switched network are described. For example, duplicates of a network packet can be created and sent to a destination via different network paths. Packet duplication can be performed by a computer that is creating and sending network packets. Packet duplication can also be performed by another type of computing device such as a router that receives network packets and creates duplicates that are then sent to the destination via different network paths. Network packets can be encapsulated using encapsulation packets that include network path indicators that indicate use of different network paths. Multiple copies of a network packet can be received and processed.
Claims18
A method, implemented by a computing device, for performing packet duplication in an Internet protocol (IP) packet-switched network, the method comprising:
- receiving network packets addressed from one or more sending hosts to one or more corresponding destination hosts;
- for each Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) network packet from the received network packets performing packet duplication comprising:
- sending a first copy of the TCP network packet via a first network path via the IP packet-switched network;
- and
- sending a second copy of the TCP network packet via a second network path via the IP packet-switched network;
- wherein the first network path and the second network path are different network paths within the IP packet-switched network, and wherein the first copy of the TCP network packet and the second copy of the TCP network packet are duplicates of the TCP network packet;
- and
- for each non-TCP network packet from the received network packets:
- sending the non-TCP network packet via the IP packet-switched network without performing packet duplication.
A computing device implementing a network router, the computing device comprising:
- one or more processing units;
- and
- one or more network interfaces;
- the computing device configured to performing operations for performing packet duplication in an Internet protocol (IP) packet-switched network, the operations comprising:
- for a received Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) network packet, performing packet duplication comprising:
- sending a first copy of the TCP network packet via a first network path via the IP packet-switched network;
- and
- sending a second copy of the TCP network packet via a second network path via the IP packet-switched network;
- wherein the first network path and the second network path are different network paths within the IP packet-switched network, and wherein the first copy of the TCP network packet and the second copy of the TCP network packet are duplicates of the TCP network packet;
- and
- for a received non-TCP network packet:
- sending the non-TCP network packet via the IP packet-switched network without performing packet duplication.
A method, implemented at least in part by a sending host, for performing packet duplication in an Internet protocol (IP) packet-switched network, the method comprising:
- obtaining a network packet addressed from the sending host to a destination host;
- creating an encapsulating network packet comprising:
- a first copy of the network packet;
- and
- a network path indicator;
- creating a second copy of the network packet, wherein the second copy of the network packet is an unencapsulated network packet;
- sending the encapsulating network packet addressed to the destination host via the IP packet-switched network;
- and
- sending the second copy of the network packet addressed to the destination host via the IP packet-switched network;
- wherein the first copy of the network packet and the second copy of the network packet are duplicates of the network packet;
- and
- wherein a router receiving the encapsulating network packet sends the encapsulating network packet via a first network path within the IP packet-switched network, and wherein the router receiving the second copy of the network packet sends the second copy of the network packet via a second network path within the IP packet-switched network different from the first network path;
- wherein the network path indicator instructs the router receiving the encapsulating network packet to route the encapsulating network packet via the first network path different from the second network path via which the second copy of the network path is routed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.