TAPS (buffer)

TAPS (buffer) refers to a mechanism within the TCP Application Protocol Server (TAPS) architecture that manages data waiting to be sent or received between an application and the underlying transport protocol. The buffer acts as a temporary storage area, smoothing out the differences in data processing rates between the application and the network.

Specifically, the TAPS buffer is part of the Transport Properties object. It provides a means to configure buffer sizes and other characteristics related to data handling. This configuration allows the application to express its needs regarding buffering behavior to the TAPS implementation, which then manages the actual buffering operation.

The buffer is crucial for handling situations where the application produces data faster than the network can transmit it (or vice versa). By temporarily storing the data, the buffer prevents data loss or application stalling due to rate mismatches. The size and characteristics of the buffer can be tuned to optimize performance based on the application's requirements and the network conditions.

The implementation of the TAPS buffer is left to the TAPS implementation and is not explicitly defined. It could be implemented using various data structures and memory management techniques depending on the underlying operating system and transport protocol.

The buffer configuration, through the Transport Properties API, allows the application to influence aspects such as:

• Buffer Size: The maximum amount of data the buffer can hold.
• Buffering Policies: Strategies for managing buffer overflows and prioritization of data.
• Congestion Control: Mechanisms that interact with the transport protocol's congestion control algorithms.

Properly configuring the TAPS buffer is essential for achieving optimal performance and reliability in network applications built using the TAPS architecture. Incorrect buffer settings can lead to performance bottlenecks, data loss, or increased latency.