Patent ID: 7330432

Claim:
A method of transmitting data over a network, comprising: forming a plurality of data transfer unit bursts, each of said data transfer unit bursts including a plurality of data transfer units; transmitting said bursts of data transfer units to at least one receiving device; receiving a plurality of status report messages, each of said status report messages indicating a receipt status with regard to at least one previously transmitted data transfer unit; recording, responsive to receipt of each of said plurality of status report messages, said receipt status with regard to said at least one previously transmitted data transfer unit; wherein said transmitting continues in the event at least one of said plurality of status report messages indicates that said at least one previously transmitted data transfer unit was not successfully received; and retransmitting, at least at some times, said at least one previously transmitted data transfer unit that was not successfully received in response to a predetermined condition being met, wherein said transmitting said bursts of data transfer units includes, at least at some times, stopping, at least temporarily, transmission of said bursts of data transfer units in response to said predetermined condition being met, said method further including, in the event at least one status report message was not received indicating a receipt status with regard to at least one of said at least one previously transmitted data transfer unit, transmitting, at least at some times, at least one status request message to request said at least one status report message that was not received, while said transmission of said bursts of data transfer units is stopped, and wherein said retransmitting said at least one previously transmitted data transfer unit that was not successfully received includes retransmitting, at least at some times, said at least one previously transmitted data transfer unit that was not successfully received, while said transmission of said bursts of data transfer units is stopped.