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IETF RFC 3449
[ACTIVE]

TCP Performance Implications of Network Path Asymmetry

Metadata

Publisher
IETF
Doc Type
Best Practice
Pages
41
Abstract
This document describes TCP performance problems that arise because of asymmetric effects. These problems arise in several access networks, including bandwidth-asymmetric networks and packet radio subnetworks, for different underlying reasons. However, the end result on TCP performance is the same in both cases: performance often degrades significantly because of imperfection and variability in the ACK feedback from the receiver to the sender. The document details several mitigations to these effects, which have either been proposed or evaluated in the literature, or are currently deployed in networks. These solutions use a combination of local link- layer techniques, subnetwork, and end-to-end mechanisms, consisting of: (i) techniques to manage the channel used for the upstream bottleneck link carrying the ACKs, typically using header compression or reducing the frequency of TCP ACKs, (ii) techniques to handle this reduced ACK frequency to retain the TCP sender's acknowledgment-triggered self- clocking and (iii) techniques to schedule the data and ACK packets in the reverse direction to improve performance in the presence of two-way traffic. Each technique is described, together with known issues, and recommendations for use. A summary of the recommendations is provided at the end of the document. This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements.
Publication Date
2002-12-01
Status Note
Best Current Practice
DOI
10.17487/RFC3449
Link
https://doi.org/10.17487/RFC3449
Author(s)
Hari Balakrishnan
Venkata Padmanabhan
Gorry Fairhurst
Mahesh Sooriyabandara
Keyword(s)
ACK
Latest version of IETF RFC 3449

Document Versions — IETF RFC 3449

  • ▶ IETF RFC 3449 (2002-12-01)
    THIS DOC [ACTIVE] [LATEST VERSION]

Normative Reference(s)

Bibliographic Reference(s)

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  • IETF RFC 1323 [Superseded*]
  • IETF RFC 2018 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 2402 [Superseded*]
  • IETF RFC 2406 [Superseded*]
  • IETF RFC 2507 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 2525 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 2686 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 2760 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 2988 [Superseded*]
  • IETF RFC 3077 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 3095 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 3150 [Active*]
  • IETF RFC 3168 [Active*]
  • T-REC-E.681.2001 — ITU01 EXTERNAL
  • T-REC-G.992.1999 — ITU02 EXTERNAL
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