Transferring transmission control protocol packets

Abstract

Transmitting Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) packets includes transmitting packets over a network path from a source to a destination using TCP in which receipt of at least some of the packets from the source at a destination is acknowledged by the destination to the source, the transmitting including a retransmission of the packets within a subpath of the network path, and managing acknowledgments of the retransmission of the packets within the subpath by a mechanism that is independent of the acknowledging by the source to the destination with respect to the transmitting of the packets over the network path.

1 . An article comprising a machine-readable medium which contains machine-executable instructions, the instructions causing a machine to: 
 transmit interrelated units of information over a network path from a source to a destination using a protocol in which receipt of at least some of the units from the source at a destination is acknowledged by the destination to the source by retransmitting the units within a subpath of the network path; and    manage acknowledgments of the retransmission of the units within the subpath by a mechanism that is independent of the acknowledging by the destination to the source with respect to the transmitting of the units over the network path.    
     
     
         2 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein the network path includes an upper layer of a Transmission Control Protocol.  
     
     
         3 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein the subpath includes a base layer of a Transmission Control Protocol.  
     
     
         4 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein the protocol includes a Transmission Control Protocol.  
     
     
         5 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein the subpath extends between a gateway device and the source.  
     
     
         6 . An article as in  claim 5 , wherein the gateway device is chosen from a group comprising: a computer, a proxy server, a virtual private network gateway, and a Realm Specific Internet Protocol gateway.  
     
     
         7 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein the subpath extends between a gateway device and the destination.  
     
     
         8 . An article as in  claim 7 , wherein the gateway device is chosen from a group comprising: a computer, a proxy server, a virtual private network gateway, and a Realm Specific Internet Protocol gateway.  
     
     
         9 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein manage acknowledgments comprises storing at the subpath a unit sent by the source to the destination for retransmission until the subpath receives an acknowledgment that the destination has received the unit.  
     
     
         10 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein the source is a device selected from a group comprising: servers, mobile computers, stationary computers, telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants.  
     
     
         11 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein the destination is a device selected from a group comprising: servers, mobile computers, stationary computers, telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants.  
     
     
         12 . An article as in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the network path is selected from a group comprising: a modem link, an Ethernet link, a cable link, a point-to-point link, an infrared connection, a fiber optic link, a cellular link, a Bluetooth connection, and a satellite link.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a source operable to transmit interrelated units of information over a network path to a destination using a protocol in which receipt of at least some of the units from the source at a destination is acknowledged by the destination to the source;    a management module operable to retransmit the units within a subpath of the network path and operable to manage acknowledgments of the retransmission of the units within the subpath by a mechanism that is independent of the acknowledging by the destination to the source with respect to the transmitting of the units over the network path.    
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the network path includes an upper layer of a Transmission Control Protocol.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the subpath includes a base layer of a Transmission Control Protocol.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the protocol includes a Transmission Control Protocol.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the subpath extends between a gateway device and the source.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus as in  claim 17 , wherein the gateway device is chosen from a group comprising: a computer, a proxy server, a virtual private network gateway, and a Realm Specific Internet Protocol gateway.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the subpath extends between a gateway device and the destination.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus as in  claim 19 , wherein the gateway device is chosen from a group comprising: a computer, a proxy server, a virtual private network gateway, and a Realm Specific Internet Protocol gateway.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the management module is operable to store at the subpath a unit sent by the source to the destination for retransmission until the subpath receives an acknowledgment that the destination has received the unit.  
     
     
         22 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the source is a device selected from a group comprising: servers, mobile computers, stationary computers, telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein the destination is a device selected from a group comprising: servers, mobile computers, stationary computers, telephones, pagers, and personal digital assistants.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus as in  claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the network path is selected from a group comprising: a modem link, an Ethernet link, a cable link, a point-to-point link, an infrared connection, a fiber optic link, a cellular link, a Bluetooth connection, and a satellite link.  
     
     
         25 . A system comprising: 
 a first storage mechanism at a first side of a network path configured to store interrelated units of information sent from a source to a destination at a second side of the network path;    a second storage mechanism at the first side configured to store acknowledgments of received units sent from the second side within a subpath of the network path; and    a mechanism configured to transmit units of information stored in the first storage mechanism to the second side based on duplicity of acknowledgments included in the second storage mechanism.    
     
     
         26 . A system as in  claim 25 , wherein the network path includes a base Transmission Control Protocol layer.  
     
     
         27 . A system as in  claim 25 , wherein the source is configured to transmit units to the destination on a network path including a Transmission Control Protocol network path.