FAST TCP
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FAST TCP is an abbreviation for Fast Active queue management Scalable Transmission Control Protocol, a protocol designed as a faster successor to TCP, that would enable users to download large files quickly, or access TV in almost real time on a sufficiently fast link.
Transmission Control Protocol
The backbone of the Internet is a system called TCP/IP. The system however is outdated.
| Application layer | HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, FTP, UUCP, NNTP, SSH, IRC, SNMP, SIP, RTP, Telnet ,... |
| Transport layer | TCP, UDP, SCTP, DCCP, ... |
| Network layer | IPv4, IPv6, ICMP, ARP, IGMP, ... |
| Data link layer | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Token ring, FDDI, PPP, ... |
| Physical layer | RS-232, EIA-422, RS-449, EIA-485... |
TCP works by breaking down data into manageable packets.
A signal must be received acknowledging receipt of a packet. If this is not received, the sender sends the same packet after two times the initial interval time. If a receipt signal is still not received, the sender waits until four times the initial interval time before sending the packet again. This continues for eight times the initial time, and so on. This policy existed to help open up clogs and bottlenecking in data traffic, but had the effect of severely increasing data transmission time when there were minor delays or glitches in hardware.
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology developed FAST TCP, which is compatible with today's Internet. It involves computing the fastest route for the transmission data and not slowing the rate of transmission despite delays, rather than adjusting the transmission rate according to the amount of congestion at that particular time. Traditional TCP limits itself to only one path. FAST TCP uses 10 parallel routes and can transfer up to 8,609 Megabits per second. This is 153,000 times faster than the average modem and 6,000 times faster than an ordinary DSL line.
External link
- FAST Homepage (http://netlab.caltech.edu/FAST/index.html)