Multiplex communications – Pathfinding or routing – Switching a message which includes an address header
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-09
2001-11-20
Pham, Chi H. (Department: 2731)
Multiplex communications
Pathfinding or routing
Switching a message which includes an address header
C370S369000, C370S400000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320865
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to method and apparatus for controlling the flow of data chunks in time and to a network using the same.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Since the inception of computer networks, the design thereof has been based on providing on-demand service in an environment dominated by unreliable, failure-prone networks and hosts. To overcome this difficulty, network design has traditionally been based on the concepts of datagram routing and end-to-end protocols that depend on minimal knowledge of the network state.
However, reliance on these concepts is also the fundamental cause of the major performance problems of current networks, where congestion, long delays, and packet losses are common occurrences. For example, TCP (the transfer control protocol used in the Internet) has ultra-conservative flow control because message round-trip times are its only knowledge of the current network state.
The design of any complex system has to rely on dynamic information in decision making. Most system designs make specific provisions for generating, collecting, and using such information. Traditionally distributed systems have been designed using a customer-based model, in which customers carry with them logical information to servers. In this approach, all resource allocation is done on demand, leading to problems such as congestion and other queuing bottlenecks. The extent of congestion and queues depends on the variability of customer arrival times, on service needs, and on the resource allocation mechanisms used by the system components. The Internet is a good example of such a system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide for the transfer of data in chunks among a plurality of nodes on a network on a space-time basis.
Another object of the invention is to provide end-to-end, jitter-free, loss-free transfer of data among nodes in a network.
A further object of the invention is to provide such transfer of data with minimum latency.
A further object of the invention is to provide such transfer of data with maximum bandwidth.
A further object of the invention is to provide such transfer of data with improved security.
To these and other objects, the present invention is directed to a device for transferring data in chunks among a plurality of nodes on a network, comprising: incoming buffer means for storing the chunks received from the plurality of nodes; outgoing buffer means for storing the chunks to be sent to the plurality of nodes; controller means for determining times in which the chunks are to be transferred among the plurality of nodes; and switch means for switching each of the chunks from a portion of the incoming buffer means corresponding to one of the nodes to a portion of the outgoing buffer means corresponding to another one of the nodes at times determined by the controller means.
In the device times are determined in the controller means by: (i) maintaining a schedule indicating an order in which the chunks are to be transferred; (ii) accepting transfer requests from the plurality of nodes; (iii) determining which of the transfer requests can be satisfied in accordance with the schedule; and (iv) revising the schedule in accordance with those of the transfer requests that can be satisfied; and the switch means operated on schedule as revised by the controller means.
The invention is further directed to a method of transferring data in chunks among a plurality of nodes on a network, the method comprising: (a) storing the chunks received from the plurality of nodes in an incoming buffer means; (b) storing the chunks to be sent to the plurality of nodes in an outgoing buffer means; (c) determining times in which the chunks are to be transferred among the plurality of nodes; and (d) switching each of the chunks from a portion of the incoming buffer means corresponding to one of the nodes to a portion of the outgoing buffer means corresponding to another one of the nodes at times determined by the determining step (c).
In the method the determining step includes (i) maintaining a schedule indicating an order in which the chunks are to be transferred; (ii) accepting transfer requests from the plurality of nodes; (iii) determining which of the transfer requests can be satisfied in accordance with the schedule as revised in step (c)(iv).
The present invention is based on the principle that the time of an event carries information that, when used judiciously, can lead to a much simpler design of the system.
The provision of data chunks without a requirement for headers improves both bandwidth and security. Because no bandwidth must be devoted to headers, up to 99.8% of the bandwidth may be devoted to usable data. Furthermore, if a network connection is tapped, the intercepted data chunks do not necessarily include identifying information and thus, like strips of shredded documents, cannot readily be reassembled.
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Agrawala Ashok K.
Landauer Christopher A.
Lee Sung
Duong Frank
Dykema Gossett PLLC
Pham Chi H.
University of Maryland at College Park
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