Importance

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Abstract

An enhanced acknowledgment pacing device and method for TCP connections is disclosed. The invention includes a link layer entity for receiving data packets from a source and forwarding the data packets to a forward data link, the link layer entity storing the received data packets in a data packet buffer until the data packets depart the link layer entity and are forwarded to the forward data link and an acknowledgment pacing device, coupled to the link layer entity, for pacing acknowledgment packets to be sent to the source in response to receiving the data packets from the source. The acknowledgment pacing device further includes an acknowledgment control unit for monitoring congestion at the link layer entity and generating a control signal for controlling the processing of acknowledgment packets based upon whether congestion is occurring at the link layer entity, an acknowledgment packet buffer, coupled to the acknowledgment control unit, for storing acknowledgment packets received from the acknowledgment control unit and a scheduler, coupled to the acknowledgment control unit and the acknowledgment buffer, the scheduler releasing acknowledgment packets to the source based upon the control signal generated by the acknowledgment control unit.

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First Claim