Packet loss

About: Packet loss is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 21235 publications have been published within this topic receiving 302453 citations.

Sting: a TCP-based network measurement tool

Abstract: Understanding wide-area network characteristics is critical for evaluating the performance of Internet applications. Unfortunately, measuring the end-to-end network behavior between two hosts can be problematic. Traditional ICMP-based tools, such as ping, are easy to use and work universally, but produce results that are limited and inaccurate. Measurement infrastructures, such as NIMI, can produce highly detailed and accurate results, but require specialized software to be deployed at both the sender and the receiver. In this paper we explore using the TCP protocol to provide more accurate network measurements than traditional tools, while still preserving their near-universal applicability. Our first prototype, a tool called sting, is able to accurately measure the packet loss rate on both the forward and reverse paths between a pair of hosts. We describe the techniques used to accomplish this, how they were validated, and present our preliminary experience measuring the packet loss rates to and from a variety of Web servers.

Denial of service attacks on network-based control systems: impact and mitigation

Abstract: Replacing specialized industrial networks with the Internet is a growing trend in industrial informatics, where packets are used to transmit feedback and control signals between a plant and a controller. Today, denial of service (DoS) attacks cause significant disruptions to the Internet, which will threaten the operation of network-based control systems (NBCS). In this paper, we propose two queueing models to simulate the stochastic process of packet delay jitter and loss under DoS attacks. The motivation is to quantitatively investigate how these attacks degrade the performance of NBCS. The example control system consists of a proportional integral controller, a second-order plant, and two one-way delay vectors induced by attacks. The simulation results indicate that Model I attack (local network DoS attack) impairs the performance because a large number of NBCS packets are lost. Model II attack (nonlocal network DoS attack) deteriorates the performance or even destabilizes the system. In this case, the traffic for NBCS exhibits strong autocorrelation of delay jitter and packet loss. Mitigating measures based on packet filtering are discussed and shown to be capable of ameliorating the performance degradation.

Cognitive packet networks

Abstract: We propose cognitive packet networks (CPN) in which intelligent capabilities for routing and flow control are concentrated in the packets, rather than in the nodes and protocols. Cognitive packets within a CPN route themselves. They are assigned goals before entering the network and pursue these goals adaptively. Cognitive packets learn from their own observations about the network and from the experience of other packets with whom they exchange information via mailboxes. Cognitive packets rely minimally on routers. This paper describes CPN and shows how learning can support intelligent behavior of cognitive packets.

Method and apparatus for packet aggregation in packet-based network

Abstract: A system and method for improving the efficiency of a packet-based network by using aggregate packets are described. One example method involves determining which network devices support aggregate packets. If a first packet is received on a route that supports aggregate packets, it is then held for a short period. During this short period, if an additional packet is received that shares at least one common route element that also supports aggregate packets with the first packet, the first packet and the additional packet are combined into a single larger aggregate packet. This can reduce the transmission time when there are multiple packets being sent to common destinations because the inter-packet time may be reduced. Additionally, in some networks, this technique allows the bandwidth of a common medium to be more fully used because more of the packets will be closer to the maximum size allowed.

Marked packet forwarding

Abstract: A network, network devices, and methods are described for marked packet forwarding A network device includes a network chip having a number of network ports for receiving and transmitting packets The network chip includes logic to decapsulate a packet received from a tunnel, mark the packet with a handle associated with an originating network device of the packet using information from an encapsulation header, and forward the marked packet to a checking functionality having a destination address different from an original destination address of the packet