Data communication mechanism capable of producing data packet having optimal segment size in communication system

Claim 2

A communication mechanism for transmitting a data packet containing a segment between a plurality of host computers connected via a gateway and a network, the segment corresponding to an amount of data to be transmitted in the network between two devices in the network, the communication mechanism comprising: a segment table in each of said host computers, each said segment table storing a plurality of entries containing address information about other ones of said host computers and a maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said other ones of said host computers, said maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said other ones of said host computers being a value unrelated to a current load capacity of the network, wherein when one of said host computers transmits a data packet to another one of said host computers and when address information about said another one of said host computers is contained in said segment table of said one of said host computers, said one of said host computers transmits the data packet with a segment having a size that does not exceed a maximum segment size corresponding to said address information of said another one of said host computers.

Claim 3

A communication mechanism for transmitting a data packet containing a segment between a plurality of host computers connected via a gateway and a network, the segment corresponding to an amount data to be transmitted in the network between two devices in the network, the communication mechanism comprising: a segment table in each of said host computers for storing therein at least one pair of a network address for said each of said host computers and a maximum segment size of said each of said host computers, said maximum segment size of said each of said host computers being a value unrelated to a current load capacity of the network; a connection end point in each of said host computers for storing data to be transmitted from said corresponding host computer and a destination network address for said data to be transmitted; a segment table generator in each of said host computers for providing said network address and said maximum segment size to said corresponding segment table; a maximum segment size reader in each of said host computers for reading said destination network address from said corresponding connection end point and for sequentially reading the contents of said corresponding segment table; a segment size determinator in each of said host computers for receiving both of said destination network address and the contents of said corresponding segment table from said corresponding maximum segment size reader, wherein when said destination network address is contained in said corresponding segment table, said corresponding segment size determinator sets a maximum segment size corresponding to said destination network address as a segment size to said corresponding connection end point; and a data transmitter in each of said host computers for transmitting said data to said destination address in accordance with said segment size set to said corresponding connection end point, wherein when one of said host computers transmits a data packet to another of said host computers and when address information about said another of said host computers is contained in said segment table in said one of said host computers, said one of said host computers transmits the data packet with a segment having a size which does not exceed a maximum segment size corresponding to said address information of said another of said host computers.

Claim 4

A communication mechanism for transmitting a data packet containing a segment between a plurality of host computers connected via a gateway and a network, the segment corresponding to an amount data to be transmitted in the network between two devices in the network, the communication mechanism comprising: a segment table in each of said host computers for storing therein at least one pair of a network address for said each of said host computers and a maximum segment size of said each of said host computers, said maximum segment size of said each of said host computers being a value unrelated to a current load capacity of the network; a connection end point in each of said host computers for storing data to be transmitted from said corresponding host computer and a destination network address for said data to be transmitted; a segment table generator in each of said host computers for providing said network address and said maximum segment size to said corresponding segment table; a maximum segment size reader in each of said host computers for reading said destination network address from said corresponding connection end point and for sequentially reading the contents of said corresponding segment table; a segment size determinator in each of said host computers for receiving both of said destination network address and the contents of said corresponding segment table from said corresponding maximum segment size reader, wherein when said destination network address is contained in said corresponding segment table, said corresponding segment size determinator sets a maximum segment size corresponding to said destination network address as a segment size to said corresponding connection end point; and a data transmitter in each of said host computers for transmitting said data to said destination address in accordance with said segment size set to said corresponding connection end point, wherein when one of said host computers transmits a data packet to another of said host computers and when address information about said another of said host computers is contained in said segment table in said one of said host computers, said one of said host computers transmits the data packet with a segment having a size which does not exceed a maximum segment size corresponding to said address information of said another of said host computers.

Claim 5

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said segment table further stores a netmask paired with the network address of each of said host computers, said netmask being used to mask the destination network address in order to interpret said destination network address, and wherein said segment size determinator sets a maximum segment size corresponding to said masked network address to said connection end point as the segment size when said masked network address is contained in said segment table.

Claim 6

A communication mechanism for transmitting a data packet containing a segment between a plurality of host computers connected via a gateway and a network, the segment corresponding to an amount of data to be transmitted in the network between two devices in the network, the communication mechanism comprising: a segment table in each of said host computers for storing therein at least one pair of a network address for one of said host computers and a maximum segment size of said one of said host computers, said maximum segment size being a value unrelated to a current load capacity of the network; a connection end point in each of said host computers for storing data to be transmitted from said corresponding host computer and a destination network address for said data to be transmitted, said destination network address corresponding to a destination host computer; a segment table generator in each of said host computers for providing said network address and said maximum segment size to said corresponding segment table; a maximum segment size requester in each of said host computers for requesting said destination host computer to provide a maximum segment size; a maximum segment size receiver in each of said host computers for receiving the provided maximum segment size from said destination host computer; a maximum segment size reader in each of said host computers for reading said destination network address from said corresponding connection end point, for receiving the provided maximum segment size of said destination host computer from said corresponding maximum segment size receiver, and for sequentially reading the contents of said corresponding segment table; a segment size determinator in each of said host computers for receiving said destination network address from said corresponding maximum segment size reader, the provided maximum segment size of said destination host computer, and the contents of said corresponding segment table, wherein when said destination network address is contained in said segment table, said optimal segment size determinator sets as a segment size into said corresponding connection end point, a smaller one of: i) a maximum segment size corresponding to said destination network address that has been retrieved from said corresponding segment table, and ii) said provided maximum segment size that has been received from said destination host computer; and a data transmitter in each of said host computers for transmitting said data at said destination network address in accordance with said segment size set to said corresponding connection end point, wherein when one of said host computers transmits a data packet to another of said host computers and when address information about said another of said host computers is contained in said segment table in said one of said host computers, said one of said host computers transmits the data packet with a segment having a size which does not exceed a maximum segment size corresponding to said address information of said another of said host computers.

Claim 7

A communication mechanism for transmitting a data packet containing a segment between a plurality of host computers connected via a gateway and a network, the segment corresponding to an amount of data to be transmitted in the network between two devices in the network, the communication mechanism comprising: a segment table in each of said host computers for storing therein at least one pair of a network address for one of said host computers and a maximum segment size of said one of said host computers, said maximum segment size being a value unrelated to a current load capacity of the network; a connection end point in each of said host computers for storing data to be transmitted from said corresponding host computer and a destination network address for said data to be transmitted, said destination network address corresponding to a destination host computer; a segment table generator in each of said host computers for providing said network address and said maximum segment size to said corresponding segment table; a maximum segment size requester in each of said host computers for requesting said destination host computer to provide a maximum segment size; a maximum segment size receiver in each of said host computers for receiving the provided maximum segment size from said destination host computer; a maximum segment size reader in each of said host computers for reading said destination network address from said corresponding connection end point, for receiving the provided maximum segment size of said destination host computer from said corresponding maximum segment size receiver, and for sequentially reading the contents of said corresponding segment table; a segment size determinator in each of said host computers for receiving said destination network address from said corresponding maximum segment size reader, the provided maximum segment size of said destination host computer, and the contents of said corresponding segment table, wherein when said destination network address is contained in said segment table, said optimal segment size determinator sets as a segment size into said corresponding connection end point, a smaller one of: i) a maximum segment size corresponding to said destination network address that has been retrieved from said corresponding segment table, and ii) said provided maximum segment size that has been received from said destination host computer; and a data transmitter in each of said host computers for transmitting said data at said destination network address in accordance with said segment size set to said corresponding connection end point, wherein when one of said host computers transmits a data packet to another of said host computers and when address information about said another of said host computers is contained in said segment table in said one of said host computers, said one of said host computers transmits the data packet with a segment having a size which does not exceed a maximum segment size corresponding to said address information of said another of said host computers.

Claim 8

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein said segment table further stores a netmask paired with the network address of each of said host computers, said netmask being used to mask the destination network address in order to interpret said destination network address, and wherein said segment size determinator sets said smaller one of the corresponding maximum segment size and the provided maximum segment size of said destination host computer to said corresponding connection end point as the segment size when said masked destination network address is contained in said corresponding segment table.

Claim 9

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said another one of said host computers is set irrespective of an amount of traffic currently flowing within said network.

Claim 10

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said another one of said host computers is set based only on characteristics of said another one of said host computers.

Claim 11

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said another of said host computers is set irrespective of an amount of traffic currently flowing within said network, and wherein said plurality of entries stored in said segment table are inputted thereto from said corresponding one of said host computers prior to any data transfer in the network between any of said host computers.

Claim 12

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said another of said host computers is set based only on characteristics of said another of said host computers, wherein said segment table generator creates the corresponding segment table based on at least one instruction received from said corresponding one of said host computers, and wherein said segment table is created prior to any data transfer in the network between any of the host computers.

Claim 13

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein said maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said another of said host computers is set irrespective of an amount of traffic currently flowing within said network.

Claim 14

A communication mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein said maximum segment size of said segment to be transmitted to said another of said host computers is set based only on characteristics of said another of said host computers, wherein said segment table generator creates the corresponding segment table based on at least one instruction received from said corresponding one of said host computers, and wherein said segment table is created prior to any data transfer in the network between any of the host computers.