Starlight Networks, Inc.

Bruce L Lieberman

Fouad A Tobagi

Joseph M Gang, Jr

The present invention provides a method for achieving alignment of the header fields of a specific layer, such as the transport layer header fields, at a receiving host. The receiving host determines a number of padding bytes that need to be added to the transport layer header for the fields to be properly aligned in the memory of the receiving host. This number is determined dynamically for each connection because different connections require different numbers of padding bytes. The number of padding bytes for a connection is determined by the receiving host from the first packet received for a particular connection. Specifically, the receiving host examines this first packet and determines the position of the first byte of the transport layer protocol header, and therefore, the number of padding bytes required to achieve 32-bit (or 64 bit) alignment. The receiving host communicates the number of padding bytes to the transmitting host. The transmitting host then adds the specified number of padding bytes to the beginning of the transport layer header for the subsequently transmitted packets for this connection. The format of the padding bytes is such that when the receiving host reads a packet it can determine from the first padding byte how many padding bytes are in the packet, and therefore, how many bytes to skip over.

Protocol header alignment

In a local area network segment, the bandwidth in the channel between a network interface device, e.g., a port, switching hub, router, bridge or server, and one or more associated station is shared as follows. At the network interface device, a variable is maintained which stores information relating to the success or failure of transmission of packets in the channel. If the channel is sensed idle, the network interface device transmits the packet with probability 1. If the channel is sensed busy, the network interface device senses the channel for an end-of-carrier signal and, thereafter, waits a period of time equal to the interframe gap g. In addition, after an additional delay period .zeta., the network interface device reattempts to transmit the packet in the channel. If the variable maintained by the network interface device is less than a certain limit, the delay .zeta. is selected according to a first basic bandwidth allocation protocol. If the variable is greater than or equal to the limit, the delay is selected according to a second basic bandwidth allocation protocol.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Bruce L Lieberman