Abstract: In a network with a sending system networked to at least one receiving system, it is sometimes desirable to transfer relatively short messages between the sending system and one or more receiving systems in a highly reliable yet highly efficient manner. The present invention defines two short message protocols, one of which relies on a statistical model and the other of which uses positive acknowledgement to track receipt of transmitted packets by intended recipient. The statistical reliability mode is based on the observation that for each packet in a message that is transmitted, the probability that at least one packet of the message is received by a given system increases. Thus, in the statistical reliability mode messages are divided into a guaranteed minimum number of packets, with additional packets being added if the message length is insufficient to fill the minimum number of packets.

Abstract: In a network with a sending system networked to at least one receiving system, it is sometimes desirable to transfer relatively short messages between the sending system and one or more receiving systems in a highly reliable yet highly efficient manner. The present invention defines two short message protocols, one of which relies on a statistical model and the other of which uses positive acknowledgement to track receipt of transmitted packets by intended recipient. The statistical reliability mode is based on the observation that for each packet in a message that is transmitted, the probability that at least one packet of the message is received by a given system increases. Thus, in the statistical reliability mode messages are divided into a guaranteed minimum number of packets, with additional packets being added if the message length is insufficient to fill the minimum number of packets.

Abstract: In a network with a sending system networked to at least one receiving system, it is sometimes desirable to transfer relatively short messages between the sending system and receiving systems in a highly reliable yet highly efficient manner. The present invention defines two short message protocols, one of which relies on a statistical model and the other of which uses positive acknowledgement to track receipt of transmitted packets by intended recipient. In the statistical reliability mode messages are divided into a guaranteed minimum number of packets, with additional packets being added if the message length is insufficient to fill the guaranteed minimum number of packets. The positive reliability mode of the present invention periodically sets an acknowledgement flag in the packets transmitted for a message. Receiving systems send an acknowledgement in response to receipt of that packet.