Optimized selection of transmission protocol respecting thresholds

1. Method for management of data transmissions in a network, comprising:

providing switching means, wherein the switching means switches on the basis of at least one respectively predetermined criterion between a first data transmission link, for which a transport protocol based on rate-based overload control is used, and a second data transmission link, for which a second transport protocol based on round trip time (RTT)-based overload control protocol is used, as alternative data transmission links between a transmitter and a receiver;

detecting and assessing at least one characteristic variable of the network at a monitoring device while one of the two data transmission links is used;

switching from an in-use transmission link to an inactive transmission link based on said assessment, wherein a switch from the first link to the second link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable exceeds a predetermined first threshold value and wherein a switch from the second link to the first link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable falls below a predetermined second threshold value, wherein the second link is monitored after the characteristic variable exceeds the first threshold value, with the switch to the second link being initiated after reception of a first data packet transmitted by means of the second link and after reception of a last data packet transmitted by means of the first link.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the second data transmission link is a TCP link.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic variable is an applicable data rate.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic variable is an RTT delay.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic variable is a data packet loss.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a change from the first data transmission link to the second data transmission link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable exceeds a predetermined first threshold value, and in that a switch from the second data transmission link to the first data transmission link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable falls below a predetermined second threshold value.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter and the receiver communicate with one another using a signalling procedure, with the signalling procedure comprising the transmission of a change initialization message from the transmitter to the receiver, with the change initialization message signalling to the receiver that a change must be initiated from the currently used data transmission link to the respective other data transmission link.

8. Method according to claim 7 , wherein the signalling procedure comprises acknowledgement of the change initialization message by the receiver.

9. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter and the receiver negotiate at least one of the threshold values with one another, and the negotiation between the transmitter and the receiver is carried out automatically.

10. Apparatus for management of data transmissions in a network, comprising:

a switching means configured to switch on the basis of at least one respectively predetermined criterion, between a first data transmission link, for which a first transport protocol based on rate-based overload control is used, and a second data transmission link, for which a second transport protocol based on a round trip time (RTT)-based overload control protocol is used, as alternative data transmission links between a transmitter and a receiver;

a monitoring device configured to detect and assess at least one characteristic variable of the network while one of the two data transmission links is used; and

wherein the switching means is further configured to switch from an in-use transmission link to an inactive transmission link based on said assessment, wherein a switch from the first link to the second link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable exceeds a predetermined first threshold value and wherein a switch from the second link to the first link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable falls below a predetermined second threshold value, wherein the second link is monitored after the characteristic variable exceeds the first threshold value, with the switch to the second link being initiated after reception of a first data packet transmitted by means of the second link and after reception of a last data packet transmitted by means of the first link.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the monitoring device makes a decision to switch from the data transmission link currently used to the respective other data transmission link on the basis of the assessment.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising signalling means configured to carry out a first signalling procedure, in the course of which the transmitter and the receiver communicate with one another, with the first signalling procedure comprising the transmission of a change initialization message from the transmitter to the receiver, with the change initialization message signalling to the receiver that a change must be initiated from the currently used data transmission links to the respective other data transmission link.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the signalling means carry out a second signalling procedure which comprises acknowledgement of the change initialization message by the receiver.

14. Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the receiver monitors the second data transmission link after reaching a first threshold value and to periodically check new data packets, and in that the receiver switches to the second data transmission link after reception of the first data packet transmitted by means of the second data transmission link and after reception of the last data packet transmitted by means of the first data transmission link.

15. Apparatus for management of data transmissions in a network, comprising:

a switching means configured to switch on the basis of at least one respectively predetermined criterion, between a first data transmission link, for which a first transport protocol based on rate-based overload control is used, and a second data transmission link, for which a second transport protocol based on a round trip time (RTT)-based overload control protocol is used, as alternative data transmission links between a transmitter and a receiver;

a monitoring device configured to detect and assess at least one characteristic variable of the network while one of the two data transmission links is used; and

wherein the switching means is further configured to switch from an in-use transmission link to an inactive transmission link based on said assessment, wherein a switch from the first link to the second link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable exceeds a predetermined first threshold value and wherein a switch from the second link to the first link is initiated when the value of the characteristic variable falls below a predetermined second threshold value, wherein the second link is monitored after the characteristic variable exceeds the first threshold value, with the switch to the second link being initiated after reception of a first data packet transmitted by means of the second link and after reception of a last data packet transmitted by means of the first link; and

monitor the second data transmission link and to periodically check new data packets,

wherein the receiver switches to the second data transmission link after reception of the first data packet transmitted by means of the second data transmission link and after reception of the last data packet transmitted by means of the first data transmission link.