Patent · US Active

Network communication with path MTU size discovery

US7995478B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
133References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 30, 2007
Grant dateAug 9, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 3, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L47/36
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for network communication and an apparatus for discovery of a maximum transmission unit (MTU) size in a path between two nodes of a network are disclosed. A plurality of test packets of varying transmission unit (TU) size may be sent from the first host to the second host. A “do not fragment” (DF) flag for the test packets is not set. It is determined whether one or more of the test packets were received by the second host. An estimated path MTU for a network path between the first and second hosts size may then be calculated based on one or more patterns of receipt of the test packets by the second host. Once the estimated Path MTU size has been determined, message packets of a size less than or equal to the Path MTU size may be sent over the network path.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.