System using ip transmission priority for improving overall network response time in telnet 3270 sessions

Abstract

Today, a Client and an associated Server use a single IP priority for all the data packets exchanged over a TCP session used to transport the Telnet traffic (file transfer and screen related interactions). The present invention discloses a method and system to provide the Client with the capability, when exchanging a file with an SNA Host over a TCP session, to dynamically change (i.e downgrade) the IP priority associated to all data packets flowing to the TN3270 Server over the TCP session, during the whole duration of the file transfer. The associated Server, on receipt of a data packet from the client (due to screen related interactions or to file transfers), memorizes the associated priority and uses this priority over all packets that it sends back to the client. This allows IP network implementation to give higher priority treatment to the data packets due to screen related interactions (interactive traffic) over data packets related to file transfer (batch traffic). The priority used by data packets related to file transfer is customisable, to give maximum freedom to the network designer. For example, SNA true interactive traffic (due to screen related interactions) could flow on the highest priority, pure IP traffic could flow on any of the possible medium priorities and data packet due to file transfer could use the lowest priority within the network.