Network characteristic-based compression of network traffic

Abstract

A network optimization device may receive a stream of data and identify a selected compression dictionary from among a number of compression dictionaries based on the received stream of data. A receiving network device may be notified regarding the selected compression dictionary. The stream of data may be compressed using the selected compression dictionary and transmitted to the receiving device.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 restricting, based on a type of data associated with data received by a network device, a selection of one of a plurality of compression dictionaries;   compressing, based on the selection of the compression dictionary, the data; and   transferring, by the network device, the compressed data to another network device.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 identifying a characteristic associated with transferring the data to the other network device, and   where restricting the selection of the one of the plurality of compression dictionaries is further based on the identified characteristic.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , where identifying the characteristic associated with transferring the data includes one or more of:
 determining a network protocol associated with transferring the data;   determining a port, of the network device, associated with transferring the data; or   determining a range of ports, of the network device, associated with transferring the data.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving the data from a client device; and   identifying the type of data associated with the received data.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , where restricting the selection of the one of the plurality of compression dictionaries includes:
 identifying a first characteristic associated with a first portion of the data;   identifying a second characteristic associated with a second portion of the data; and   where selecting the one of the plurality of compression dictionaries includes:
 selecting, based on the first characteristic, a first one of the plurality of compression dictionaries for compressing the first portion of the data; and 
 selecting, based on the second characteristic, a second one of the plurality of compression dictionaries for compressing the second portion of the data. 
   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 identifying a network characteristic associated the data received by the network device;   creating a compression rule associated with the identified network characteristic; and   where restricting the selection of the one of the plurality of compression dictionaries is further based on the created compression rule.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , where transferring the data includes:
 identifying, to the other network device, the selected one of the plurality of compression dictionaries prior to compressing the data.   
     
     
         30 . A system comprising:
 a client device; and   a network device to:
 restrict, based on a characteristic associated with a portion of a data stream received from a client device, a selection of one of a plurality of compression dictionaries, 
 compress, based on the selected one of the plurality of compression dictionaries, the portion of the data stream, and 
 transfer the data stream, including the compressed portion of the data stream, to another network device. 
   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , where the network device is further to:
 restrict, based on another characteristic associated with another portion of the data stream, another selection of another one of the plurality of compression dictionaries,   select, based on the restriction, the other one of the plurality of compression dictionaries,   compress, based on the selected other one of the plurality of compression dictionaries, the other portion of the data stream, and   transfer the data stream, including the compressed portion of the data stream and the compressed other portion of the data stream, to another network device.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , where the data stream comprises a transmission control protocol (TCP) data stream, and when restricting the selection of the one of the plurality of compression dictionaries, the network device is further to:
 restrict, based on predefined network characteristics associated with different portions of the TCP data stream, a selection of different ones of the plurality of compression dictionaries for compressing each of the different portions of the TCP data stream.   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , where the data stream includes a plurality of data flows, and the network device is further to:
 identify, based on a network characteristic associated with each of the plurality of data flows, each of the plurality of data flows,   restrict, based on a compression rule associated with the network characteristic, selection of one of a plurality of compression dictionaries for each of the plurality of data flows,   select, for each of the data flows and based on the restriction, the one of the plurality of compression dictionaries,   compress, based on the selected one of the plurality of compression dictionaries, each of the plurality of data flows, and   transfer the data stream, including the compressed plurality of data flows, to the other network device.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 30 , where the network device is further to:
 automatically create, based on a network condition associated with transferring the data stream to the other network device, a compression rule, where the compression rule is associated with the characteristic associated with the portion of the data stream, and   where restricting the selection of the one of the plurality of compression dictionaries is further based on the compression rule.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , where, when automatically creating the compression rule, the network device is to:
 determine that the portion of the data stream comprises a threshold amount of data associated the network characteristic, and   where the network device automatically creates the compression rule in response to determining that the portion of the data stream comprises the threshold amount of data.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 30 , where, prior to compressing the portion of the data stream, the network device is further to:
 identify, to the other network device, the selected one of the plurality of compression dictionaries.   
     
     
         37 . A method comprising:
 selecting, by a network device, a dictionary, from a plurality of dictionaries, based on a received stream of data;   transmitting, by the network device, a message to another device, where the message comprises an initial sequence number associated with a compressed stream of data and identifies the selected dictionary;   compressing, based on the selected dictionary, the stream of data to form the compressed stream of data; and   transmitting, by the network device, the compressed stream of data to the other device.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , where selecting the dictionary, further comprises:
 determining a characteristic associated with a portion of the stream of data;   identifying one or more rules associated with the characteristic; and   where selecting the dictionary is further based on the one or more rules.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , where selecting the dictionary, further comprises:
 determining another characteristic associated with another portion of the stream of data;   identifying one or more other rules associated with the other characteristic;   selecting a first dictionary, of the plurality of dictionaries, based on the one or more rules;   selecting a second dictionary, of the plurality of dictionaries, based on the one or more other rules; and   compressing the portion of the stream of data based on the first dictionary and the other portion of the stream of data based on the second dictionary to form the compressed stream of data.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 determining whether the plurality of dictionaries includes the dictionary; and   creating, when the plurality of dictionaries does not include the dictionary, the dictionary.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , where, when compressing the stream of data, the method further comprises:
 populating the dictionary.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 37 , where transmitting the message, further comprises:
 receiving an acknowledgement from the other device in response to the message, and   where the network device compresses the stream of data in response to receiving the acknowledgement.