APPARATUS, COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING DATA PACKET FLOW

摘要

A datagram flow optimizer apparatus (100) comprises a buffer resource (306, 312) capable of receiving and temporarily storing a plurality of datagrams in respect of a forward path. The apparatus (100) also comprises and a buffer controller (102, 308) arranged to implement, when in use, buffering of received datagrams by the buffer resource (306) until a predetermined threshold number of datagrams has been stored by the buffer resource (306). The apparatus (100) further comprises an acknowledgement regulator (124, 310, 312, 314) arranged to use the buffer resource (312) to manipulate temporal spacing between acknowledgements of datagrams on a reverse path. The buffer controller (102, 308) is arranged to permit forwarding on the forward path of datagrams stored by the buffer resource (306) in response to the predetermined threshold number of stored datagrams being reached.