[e2e] using TCP features in the design of routers

[Baker Fred]

The most important point you have missed, really, is that TCP operates 
a level above that of a network layer router. For various purposes they 
will look into the TCP header on occasion when configured to, but that 
is usually to disallow a certain application (identified by port number 
pair) or some such. And if IPsec is in use, the TCP datastream is 
encrypted and therefore invisible to the router.

What we have in fact used the kind of thing you discuss for 
commercially is to separate TCP (or UDP) sessions into separate 
interface queues and therefore apportion interface bandwidth among 
them. Attempting to apportion other router facilities in that way leads 
in the direction of a lot of work for little gain; once you have 
identified the TCP session for such purposes, you know enough to 
forward it, and may as well get it on its way.


On Mar 3, 2005, at 3:02 AM, S.Govind wrote:

> hi
>
> I am new to this mailing list ,so iam not sure if this is the right 
> place
> to ask this question.
>
> Internet traffic is primarily composed of TCP flows ,so isnt it 
> possible
> to take advantage of TCP features, for eg: if threads in a router are
> processing from a given flow and if the router sees that there is a 
> packet
> loss from a flow so it can allocate resources to other flow (bcoz of
> congestion,window size reduces of that flow). I havent come across
> similar work, any pointers in this direction is highly appreciated
>
>
> Iam a novice to networking so may be i would have missed some 
> important point
>
> Thanking You,
> Govind
>
> --
>