System, method, and computer program product for in-place, lightweight Ack promotion in a cable modem environment

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for in-place, lightweight Ack packet promotion is provided. The method includes receiving a new Ack packet; searching through a transmit queue for an old Ack packet that corresponds to the new Ack packet; and replacing the data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and a timestamp options field of the old Ack packet with data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and a timestamp options field of the new Ack packet.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for in-place, lightweight Ack packet promotion, comprising: 
 receiving a new Ack packet;    searching through a transmit queue for an old Ack packet that corresponds to the new Ack packet; and    replacing the data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and/or a timestamp options field of the old Ack packet with data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and/or a timestamp options field of the new Ack packet.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 discarding the new Ack packet.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 queuing the new Ack packet for a piggyback request.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 queuing the new Ack packet in response to detecting that the old Ack packet has been transmitted before said replacing step is completed.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining whether a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) stream associated with the old Ack packet and a TCP stream associated with the new Ack packet are from the same stream.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said determining step comprises identifying the old Ack packet TCP stream and the new Ack packet TCP stream from a tuple.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the tuple includes a source IP address, a destination IP address, a source port number, and a destination port number.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 utilizing a hash algorithm to execute said determining step, wherein the hash algorithm includes the checksum fields of the old Ack packet and the new Ack packet.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 utilizing a source port number in the hash algorithm to execute said determining step, wherein the source port number identifies a source of a corresponding TCP stream.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 queuing the new Ack packet for transmission if a corresponding old Ack packet is not found.    
     
     
         11 . A system for in-place Ack packet promotion, comprising: 
 a cable modem in communications with a cable network and configured to receive one or more Ack packets for delivery over said cable network; and    a transmit queue coupled to said cable modem, wherein said transmit queue is searchable to compare a new Ack packet with an older Ack packet that corresponds to said new Ack packet, wherein said cable modem operates to replace the data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and/or a timestamp options field of said older Ack packet with data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and/or a timestamp options field of said new Ack packet.    
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a hash algorithm, when executed, determines whether a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) stream associated with said older Ack packet and a TCP stream associated with said new Ack packet are from the same stream.  
     
     
         13 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program code means embedded in said medium for causing a computer to manage a system for in-place Ack packet promotion, comprising: 
 first computer readable program code means for receiving a new Ack packet;    second computer readable program code means for searching through a transmit queue for an old Ack packet that corresponds to said new Ack packet; and    third computer readable program code means for replacing the data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and/or a timestamp options field of said old Ack packet with data in a number field, a checksum field, a window size field, and/or a timestamp options field of said new Ack packet.    
     
     
         14 . The computer program product according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 fourth computer readable program code means for discarding said new Ack packet.    
     
     
         15 . The computer program product according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 fourth computer readable program code means for determining whether a TCP stream associated with said old Ack packet and a TCP stream associated with said new Ack packet are from the same stream.    
     
     
         16 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , wherein a tuple is utilized to identify said old Ack packet TCP stream and said new Ack packet TCP stream.  
     
     
         17 . The computer program product according to  claim 16 , wherein said tuple includes a source IP address, a destination IP address, a source port number, and a destination port number.  
     
     
         18 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , wherein the checksum fields of the said Ack packet and said new Ack packet are used as a hash algorithm.  
     
     
         19 . The computer program product according to  claim 13 , wherein said first computer readable program code means, said second computer readable program code means, and said third computer readable program code means operate within a cable modem.