Systems, Apparatuses and Methods for Network Packet Management

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for latency-oriented router. An incoming packet is received on a first interface. The type of the incoming packet is determined. Upon the detection that the incoming packet belongs to latency-critical traffic, the incoming packet is duplicated into one or more copies. Subsequently, the duplicated copies are sent to a second interface in a delayed fashion where the duplicated copies are spread over a time period. The duplicated copies are received and processed at the second interface.

1 - 238 . (canceled) 
     
     
         239 . A method of managing packets in a network, the method comprising:
 obtaining, by a computing device comprising one or more interfaces, a first packet of a plurality of packets, wherein the computing device is communicatively coupled to a plurality of devices via the one or more interfaces;   generating, by the computing device, fragments based on the first packet and a threshold size, wherein the threshold size is smaller than a maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for the network, the fragments comprising at least a first fragment and a second fragment, wherein the fragments each comprise a subset of the first packet and whereby the first packet is capable of being reassembled using the fragments; and   transmitting, by the computing device, at least the first fragment and the second fragment to a target device.   
     
     
         240 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein the threshold size is separate from the MTU size for the network. 
     
     
         241 . The method of  claim 240 , the method further comprising:
 determining, by the computing device, whether the first fragment or the second fragment exceeds the MTU size for the network; and   generating, by the computing device, sub-fragments based on the first fragment or the second fragment responsive to a determination that at least one of the first fragment or the second fragment exceeds the MTU size for the network.   
     
     
         242 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein the threshold size depends on an app type for the first packet. 
     
     
         243 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein generating the fragments based on the first packet comprises:
 generating, by the computing device, a check-fragment comprising an XOR of at least the first fragment and the second fragment; and   transmitting, by the computing device, at least the first fragment, the second fragment, and the check-fragment to the target device.   
     
     
         244 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein transmitting at least the first fragment and the second fragment to the target device comprises transmitting, by the computing device, a copy of the first fragment and a copy of the second fragment to the target device. 
     
     
         245 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein the first fragment and the second fragment are transmitted to the target device via the one or more interfaces. 
     
     
         246 . The method of  claim 239 , the method further comprising:
 generating, by the computing device, at least one fragment-copy of the first fragment and at least one fragment-copy of the second fragment;   identifying, by the computing device, at least one characteristic of the first packet;   determining, by the computing device, a first time period and a second time period based on the at least one characteristic; and   transmitting, by the computing device, the first fragment, the at least one fragment-copy of the first fragment, the second fragment, and the at least one fragment-copy of the second fragment to a target device, wherein transmission of the at least one fragment-copy of the first fragment is delayed with respect to transmission of the first fragment according to the first time period and transmission of the at least one fragment-copy of the second fragment is delayed with respect to transmission of the second fragment according to the second time period.   
     
     
         247 . The method of  claim 246 , wherein the first time period and the second time period are the same. 
     
     
         248 . The method of  claim 239 , wherein the fragments each comprise a field indicating that the respective fragment is associated with the first packet and a field indicating a total number of fragments representing the first packet. 
     
     
         249 . A computing device comprising:
 one or more interfaces, wherein the computing device is communicatively coupled to a plurality of devices via the one or more interfaces; and   a processor configured to:
 receive a first packet of a plurality of packets; 
 generate fragments based on the first packet and a threshold size, wherein the threshold size is smaller than a maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for the network, the fragments comprising at least a first fragment and a second fragment, wherein the fragments each comprise a subset of the first packet and whereby the first packet is capable of being reassembled using the fragments; and 
 transmit at least the first fragment and the second fragment to a target device. 
   
     
     
         250 . The computing device of  claim 239 , wherein the threshold size is separate from the MTU size for the network. 
     
     
         251 . The computing device of  claim 250 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine whether the first fragment or the second fragment exceeds the MTU size for the network; and   generate sub-fragments based on the first fragment or the second fragment responsive to a determination that at least one of the first fragment or the second fragment exceeds the MTU size for the network.   
     
     
         252 . The computing device of  claim 249 , wherein the threshold size depends on an app type for the first packet. 
     
     
         253 . The computing device of  claim 249 , wherein to generate the fragments based on the first packet, the processor is configured to:
 generate a check-fragment comprising an XOR of at least the first fragment and the second fragment; and   transmit at least the first fragment, the second fragment, and the check-fragment to the target device.   
     
     
         254 . The computing device of  claim 249 , wherein to transmit at least the first fragment and the second fragment to the target device, the processor is configured to transmit a copy of the first fragment and a copy of the second fragment to the target device. 
     
     
         255 . The computing device of  claim 249 , wherein the first fragment and the second fragment are transmitted to the target device via the one or more interfaces. 
     
     
         256 . The computing device of  claim 249 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate at least one fragment-copy of the first fragment and at least one fragment-copy of the second fragment;   identify at least one characteristic of the first packet;   determine a first time period and a second time period based on the at least one characteristic; and   transmit the first fragment, the at least one fragment-copy of the first fragment, the second fragment, and the at least one fragment-copy of the second fragment to a target device, wherein transmission of the at least one fragment-copy of the first fragment is delayed with respect to transmission of the first fragment according to the first time period and transmission of the at least one fragment-copy of the second fragment is delayed with respect to transmission of the second fragment according to the second time period.   
     
     
         257 . The computing device of  claim 256 , wherein the first time period and the second time period are the same. 
     
     
         258 . The computing device of  claim 249 , wherein the fragments each comprise a field indicating that the respective fragment is associated with the first packet and a field indicating a total number of fragments representing the first packet.