System and method for identifying multiple paths between network nodes

摘要

Aspects of the invention pertain to transmitting packet data across a computer network. The packets may be sent via one or more distinct routes from a source to a destination. Each route may employ multiple routers disposed along the network. Non-colliding routes are determined by transmitting pairs of probe packets along the routes. A first probe packet has a maximal length, and a second probe packet has a minimal length. Depending on the order of arrival of the probe packets, the system determines whether two transport layer ports at the destination device collide. If there is a collision, then the system searches for a set of non-colliding ports. Once the non-colliding ports are determined, application data may be sent as packets along the different routes to those ports.

主权项

1. A method for identifying ports to support data packet traffic between a source device and a destination device in a computer network, the method comprising:
selecting a subset SkD from a set SD of destination ports p the destination device is configured to listen to, the subset SkD for serving the data packet traffic between the source device and the destination device; choosing a port in the set SD for analysis that is not a member of the subset SkD; determining whether the chosen port collides with any of the ports in the subset SkD by analyzing one or more pairs of packets transmitted to the destination device and evaluating whether the packets from at least one of the pairs arrive out of order; wherein, when there is a collision involving the chosen port, eliminating the chosen port from the set SD; and when it is determined that there is no collision, modifying the subset SKD according to the following equation: SKDmodified=SKD U {chosen port }, wherein U indicates a union operation.