ABSTRACT

A method of performing network communications includes receiving a datagram for transmitting information over a network,

selecting a layer in a network protocol stack to establish communication over the network using an inner layer application programming interface (IL API), establishing an internal layer socket at the selected network layer using the IL API without accessing other layers in the layered network protocol stack, and transmitting the datagram packet over the selected layer using the inner layer socket.

Interface method and system for accessing inner layers of a network protocol
Accessing inner layers of a network protocol

Accessing inner layers of a network protocol

An Inventor: Dr. Tal Lavian

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to computer data networking and an interface method and system for accessing the inner layers of a network protocol.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Layered data communications protocols promote system interoperability, vendor portability, and simplicity in system integration.

Each protocol layer operates at a different abstraction layer and performs various types of data manipulation and formatting. Because each layer is concerned with events at its level of abstraction, other software designers can work together to design the protocols. Layers of the network protocol can also be replaced individually without significant communication incompatibilities problems arising.

The Internet Protocol (IP) stack is a widely used layered communication protocol. Applications use the IP stack to transmit and receive data over various local and wide area networks. Typically, a transmitting application passes application data to a transport layer in the IP stack, which adds routing information to the data and passes the results to a data link layer. The data link layer also adds additional header information and passes the resulting information to a physical layer that is finally transmitted over the network.

A receiving application associated with a receiving IP stack receives and processes the information. Each layer of the receiving IP stack performs various communication functions and format conversions in reverse, going from the physical layer, the data link layer, the network layer, the transport layer, and then to the receiving application. In a conventional network, applications send and receive messages from each other and use the IP stack as a conduit for data. Notwithstanding these messages, additional information being transmitted between the sending and receiving IP stacks is not typically made available to either the sending or receiving applications.

While layered protocols such as those used in a conventional IP stack have some advantages, they are have been obtained by lowering programmatic flexibility. For example, application data is encapsulated with protocol-generated headers whose content cannot be accessed and controlled by the application itself. Applications are masked from the internal operation of a network protocol and network operation. This inflexibility makes it difficult for an application to send data encapsulated with a non-standard header when required or monitor the process of the network.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of performing network communications includes receiving a datagram for transmitting information over a network, selecting a layer in a network protocol stack to establish communication

over the network using an inner layer application programming interface (IL API), establishing an internal layer socket at the selected network layer using the IL API without accessing other layers in the layered network protocol stack, and transmitting the datagram packet over the selected layer using the inner layer socket.

Dr. Tal Lavian offers insightful and decisive expertise as a telecommunications expert witness and network communications expert witness