Methods and systems for transmitting and receiving data packets through a bonded connection

1. A method to transmit and receive data packets between a first network node and a second network node through a plurality of connections, wherein the plurality of connections are bonded to form a bonded connection, comprising:

a. at the first network node, encapsulating a data packet, a session identification of the data packet, a session sequence number of the data packet, and a time value of the data packet in an encapsulating packet;

b. at the first network node, sending the encapsulating packet to the second network node through the bonded connection;

c. at the second network node, after receiving the encapsulating packet, storing the encapsulating packet in a queue;

d. at the second network node, determining whether the queue is empty; and

determining an expiration time of the encapsulating packet; and

e. at the second network node, when the expiration time of the encapsulating packet expires:

i. dequeuing the encapsulating packet; and

ii. forwarding the data packet according to a destination of the data packet;

wherein:

the queue is selected based on the session identification of the data packet;

when the queue is empty, the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is determined based on a buffer period; and

when the queue is not empty, the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is based on time differences of a time value of the encapsulating packet and a time value of at least one currently-stored encapsulating packet;

the session identification of the data packet identifies a session of the data packet; and

the session sequence number of the data packet enables the data packet to be re-ordered per session.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the second network node, determining whether the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is expired before the encapsulating packet is received; and

wherein the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is determined based on the time value.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, at the second network node, when the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is expired, forwarding the data packet; and when the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is not expired, storing the encapsulating packet in the queue; and

wherein:

the expiration time of the encapsulating packet sent in step (b) is determined further based on an expiration time of at least one earlier-received encapsulating packet received by the second network node earlier; and

the at least one earlier-received encapsulating packet received by the second network node earlier and the encapsulating packet sent in step (b) have a same session identification.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, at the second network node, adjusting the expiration time of the at least one earlier-received encapsulating packet received by the second network node earlier.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time value is determined based on one of (i) a time the data packets arrived at the first network node, and (ii) the time value is determined based on a time the data packets are to be sent by the first network node or upon being sent by the first network node.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time value is recorded in microsecond precision or nanosecond precision.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of connections have different latencies.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the first network node, encapsulating a global sequence number in the encapsulating packet.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the second network node, increasing the expiration time of the encapsulating packet.

10. A system for transmitting and receiving data packets through a plurality of connections established between a first network node and a second network node, comprising:

the first network node; and

the second network node, wherein the first network node is coupled to the second network node via the plurality of connections;

wherein:

the plurality of connections are bonded to form a bonded connection;

the first network node comprises:

at least one first network interface;

at least one first processing unit;

at least one first main memory; and

at least one first secondary storage storing program instructions executable by the at least one first processing unit and configured to cause the at least one first processing unit to perform:

a. encapsulating a data packet, a session identification of the data packet, a session sequence number of the data packet, and a time value of the data packet in an encapsulating packet; and

b. sending the encapsulating packet to the second network node through the bonded connection; and

the second network node comprises:

at least one second network interface;

at least one second processing unit;

at least one second main memory;

at least one second secondary storage storing program instructions executable by the at least one second processing unit and configured to cause the at least one second processing unit to perform:

c. after receiving the encapsulating packet, storing the encapsulating packet in a queue;

d. determining whether the queue is empty; and determining an expiration time of the encapsulating packet; and

e. when the expiration time of the encapsulating packet expires:

 i. dequeuing the encapsulating packet; and

 ii. forwarding the data packet according to a destination of the data packet;

wherein:

the queue is selected based on the session identification of the data packet;

when the queue is empty, the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is determined based on a buffer period; and

when the queue is not empty, the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is based on time differences of a time value of the encapsulating packet and a time value of at least one currently-stored encapsulating packet;

the session identification of the data packet identifies a session of the data packet; and

the session sequence number of the data packet enables the data packet to be re-ordered per session.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second secondary storage unit further stores program instructions executable by the at least one second processing unit and configured to cause the at least one second processing unit to perform determining whether the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is expired before the encapsulating packet is received; and

wherein the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is determined based on the time value.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one second secondary storage unit further stores program instructions executable by the at least one second processing unit and configured to cause the at least one second processing unit to perform when the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is expired, forwarding the data packet; and when the expiration time of the encapsulating packet is not expired, storing the encapsulating packet in the queue; and

wherein:

the expiration time of the encapsulating packet sent in step (b) is determined further based on an expiration time of at least one earlier-received encapsulating packet received by the second network node earlier; and

the at least one earlier-received encapsulating packet received by the second network node earlier and the encapsulating packet sent in step (b) have a same session identification.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one second secondary storage unit further stores program instructions executable by the at least one second processing unit and configured to cause the at least one second processing unit to perform adjusting the expiration time of the at least one earlier-received encapsulating packet received by the second network node earlier.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the time value is determined based on one of (i) a time the data packets arrived at the first network node, and (ii) the time value is determined based on a time the data packets are to be sent by the first network node or upon being sent by the first network node.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the time value is recorded in microsecond precision or nanosecond precision.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least two of the plurality of connections have different latencies.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one first secondary storage unit further stores program instructions executable by the at least one first processing unit and configured to cause the at least one first processing unit to perform encapsulating a global sequence number in the encapsulating packet.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one second secondary storage further stores program instructions executable by the at least one second processing unit and configured to cause the at least one second processing unit to perform increasing the expiration time of the encapsulating packet.