Method and apparatus for header updating
View Patent ↗Methods and systems include establishing a connection between two agents, storing a transaction header for data packets being transmitted from one agent to the other, transmitting the packets, updating the transaction header after successful transmission of one or more packets, and re-transmitting the updated transaction header when a disconnect event occurs. The re-transmission of the updated transaction header allows for an efficient re-start or re-connect between the agents of a previously disconnected transmission in a computer network system.
1. A method comprising:
storing a header information describing a plurality of packets to be successively transmitted from a first agent to a second agent in network, wherein the header information is stored within the first agent;
starting transmission of the plurality of packets autonomously by the first agent to the second agent, beginning with a header packet that includes the header information;
updating the stored header information within the first agent each time the first agent learns of a packet from the plurality of packets that is successfully received by the second agent in order to create updated header information describing a remainder of the plurality of packets not yet known by the first agent to have been successfully received by the second agent;
modifying the header packet using the updated header information each time the stored header information is updated to form an updated header packet; and
restarting transmission of the plurality of packets autonomously by the first agent to the second agent following a disconnect event, beginning with the updated header packet, followed by a first packet of the remainder of the plurality of packets not yet known by the first agent to have been successfully received by the second agent prior to the disconnect event, wherein the updated header information was updated within the first agent prior to the disconnect.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the header information is performed upon each receipt of an acknowledgement signal from the second agent.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein updating the header information includes modifying a plurality of header fields including at least one of a data length field, a starting address field, a byte enable field, and a header checksum field.
4. A system comprising:
a first agent including a storage unit to store header information;
a second agent, wherein the first agent is to successively transmit a plurality of packets to the second agent through a network, beginning with a header packet that includes header information describing the plurality of packets; and
a device coupled with the first agent to update the stored header information within the storage unit each time the first agent learns of a packet from the plurality of packets that is successfully received by the second agent, in order to create updated header information describing a remainder of the plurality of packets not yet known by the first agent to have been successfully received by the second agent and to modify the header packet each time the first agent learns of a packet from the plurality of packets that is successfully received by the second agent and create an updated header packet;
wherein the first agent is to autonomously restart transmission of the plurality of packets to the second agent following a disconnect event, beginning with the updated header packet that includes the updated header information which was updated within the storage unit prior to the disconnect, followed by a first packet of the remainder of the plurality of packets not yet known by the first agent to have been successfully received by the second agent prior to the disconnect event.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the device is to update the header information upon each receipt of an acknowledgment signal from the second agent.
6. The system of claim 4 wherein the device is to modify a plurality of fields of the header information including at least one of a data length field, a starting address field, a byte enable field, and a header checksum field.
7. A computer readable media storing instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to implement a method, the method comprising:
storing a header information describing a plurality of packets to be successively transmitted from a first agent to a second agent in network, wherein the header information is stored within the first agent;
starting transmission of the plurality of packets autonomously by the first agent to the second agent, beginning with a header packet that includes the header information;
updating the stored header information within the first agent each time the first agent learns of a packet from the plurality of packets that is successfully received by the second agent in order to create updated header information describing a remainder of the plurality of packets not yet known by the first agent to have been successfully received by the second agent;
modifying the header packet using the updated header information each time the stored header information is updated to form an updated header packet; and
restarting transmission of the plurality of packets autonomously by the first agent to the second agent following a disconnect event, beginning with the updated header packet, followed by a first packet of the remainder of the plurality of packets not yet known by the first agent to have been successfully received by the second agent prior to the disconnect event, wherein the updated header information was updated within the first agent prior to the disconnect.
8. The computer readable media of claim 7 wherein updating the header information is performed upon each receipt of an acknowledgement signal from the second agent.
9. The computer readable media of claim 7 wherein updating the header information includes modifying a plurality of header fields including at least one of a data length field, a starting address field, a byte enable field, and a header checksum field of the header packet.