Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer protocol implementing – Computer-to-computer data framing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-20
2001-12-11
Rinehart, Mark H. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer protocol implementing
Computer-to-computer data framing
C370S471000, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330614
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to networking systems and the forwarding and routing of information therein, being more particularly directed to the limitations of addressing space and processing speeds in the current Internet; the invention providing for novel substitute or reuse of the checksum field space within current IP datagram headers for solving such problems while maintaining current infrastructure, and thereby avoiding resort to costly solutions involved in adopting and investing in non-standard technologies for achieving these ends.
GENERAL BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Internet was an outgrowth of the ARPANET as had been designed as a research project by BBN Inc after it was awarded a grant from the U.S. Government Defense Department in the sixties and seventies. No one, however, could have imagined the explosive growth of the Internet experienced in the last decade, primarily as a consequence of the technology created by the grant, and now called the Internet Protocol (IP for short). With the explosive growth of this technology, processing speed and addressing bottlenecks have been created, leading to proposals that may force the industry to adopt completely new technologies involving drastic changes in infrastructure that would create a huge economic impact. Foreseeing such economic impact, it has become difficult for the industry to adapt to, or come to consensus on, the next new standard technology.
Currently, there are two major directional changes; one that addresses the processing speed of network datagrams, called IP packets, and the other that addresses the ‘addressing limits’ of the IP packets. These two directions have been pushed by the industry for some time but have not been agreed upon by any engineering committee. Finalization of these standards involves serious consideration of substantial new investments in technology and in the justification of obsoleting billions of dollars worth of previous investment.
With the breakthrough of the present invention, however, the current IP structure itself may be retained, adapted and used to solve not only both the processing and addressing speed problems, but also to solve ancillary problems, in many environments, as well, and without changing the current infrastructure, and with continued use of current technology.
OBJECTS OF INVENTION
An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a new and improved method of and system for obviating processing and addressing speed limitations in Internet Protocol (IP) and related applications that shall not be subject to the above-described and other disadvantages of requiring new and costly infrastructure changes, but that, through novel reuse of the checksum field space in the IP datagrams, can admirably remedy such speed limitations and, where desired, provide additional features, as well.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel technique for reusing the checksum field space in the header in the current Internet or private IP networks for increasing the processing speed of Internet datagrams, thereby increasing the overall delivery service in the Internet.
Still another object is to provide for such reuse of the checksum field header space, in current internet or private IP networks also for speeding up datagrams for Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and the like.
From another important viewpoint, the invention encompasses in a data networking system the modification of headers of datagrams requiring insignificant changes in the current private or public IP networks, while allowing growth in various aspects of public and private networks; and thereby protecting current industry investments by maintaining backward compatibility.
Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and are more fully delineated in the appended claims.
An additional object is to provide for such reuse of the checksum field for representing one or more of Autonomous System Numbers, or higher layer protocol-based routing or for any tag representing identifiers as for such VPN use, or for representing later-described MPLS or other layer 2 protocols.
SUMMARY
In summary, however, from one of its important viewpoints, the invention embraces in a network system for exchanging information between two or more computer hosts connected to the system with the aid of datagram headers of predetermined size for routing and forwarding the information, with the headers containing source and destination network address fields and other service and identification fields, including a checksum field for generating checksums guaranteeing the validity of the header, a method of extending the network address space while increasing processing speed and, if desired, maintaining the same predetermined header size, that comprises, replacing the checksum usage of the checksum field with its attendant processing time with further source host and destination host addresses of lesser attendant processing time, increasing the address space for the network and decreasing the required header processing time.
From another important view point, the invention encompasses in a data networking system the modification of headers of datagrams requiring insignificant changes in the current private or public IP networks, while allowing growth in various aspects of public and private networks; and thereby protecting current industry investments by maintaining backward compatibility.
Preferred and best mode designs and details are later presented.
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RFC 1365, K. Siyan, An IP Address Extension Proposal, http://rfc.fh-koeln.de/html-gzrfc1365.html.gz, 6 pages, Sep. 1992.*
RFC 0796, J. Postel, Address Mapping, http://rfe.fh-koeln.de/rfc/html-gz/rfc0796.html.gz, 7 pages, Sep. 1981.*
RFC 0730, Jon Postel, Extensible Field Addressing, http://rfc.fh-koeln.de/rfc/html-gz/rfc0730.html.gz, 6 pages, May 20, 1977.*
ENST, “Methods for IPv4-IPv6 transition”, 1998, IEEE, p. 1.*
Stallings, “IPv6: the New Internet Protocol”, 1998, IEEE, pp. 1-28 (28).*
Kantor, RFC C1226, “Internet Protocol Encapsulation of AX.25 frames”, May 1991, rfc-.fh-koeln.de, pp. 2.*
Topolcic, RFC 1367, “Schedule for IP Address Space Management Guidelines”, Oct. 1992, rfc-.fh-koeln.de, pp. 3.*
IAB et al., RFC 1881, “IPv6 Address Allocation Management”, Dec. 1995, rfc-.fh-koeln.de, pp. 10.*
Hindel et al., RFC 1884, “IPv6 Addressing Architecture”, Dec. 1995, rfc-.fh-koeln.de, pp. 18.
Aggarwal Vijay K.
Shah Himanshu C.
Young Christopher R.
Jaroenchonwanit Bunjob
Nexabit Networks LLC
Rinehart Mark H.
LandOfFree
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