Systems and methods for associating multiple transport layer hops between clients and servers

• US 10,021,018 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2015
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Singhal, Pravin, Vasista, Meghashree, Venkatraman, Charumathy, Gavini, Anil Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Holland, Jenee
• Application Number:
  US14/846,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/64 using an overlay routing layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for associating multiple transport layer hops between a client and a server. A first intermediary device may receive a request for a transport layer connection between the client and the server. The first intermediary device may generate a unique identifier to identify a connection chain between the client and the server across a plurality of transport layer connections via the plurality of devices. The first intermediary device may set a hop count to a number of hops that the first device is between the client and the server. The first intermediary device may forward information about the unique identifier and the hop count to a next device of the plurality of devices.

Claims

1. A method for associating multiple transport layer hops between a client and a server, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a first device of a plurality of devices intermediary to a client and a server, a request for a transport layer connection between the client and the server;

(b) generating, by the first device, a unique identifier to identify a connection chain between the client and the server across a plurality of transport layer connections via the plurality of devices;

(c) setting, by the first device, a hop count to a number of hops based on whether or not the request identifies the unique identifier; and

(d) forwarding, by the first device, information about the unique identifier and the hop count to a next device of the plurality of devices, wherein the hop count is increased by the next device responsive to receiving the unique identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by a second device of the plurality of devices, the request forwarded by the first device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining, by the second device, whether the request has information about the unique identifier for the connection chain.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising obtaining, by the second device responsive to the determination, the unique identifier for the connection chain and the hop count, and incrementing the hop count by a predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising forwarding, by the second device, the unique identifier and the hop count via a next transport layer connection to the server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) further comprises setting the hop count to zero if the request received by the first device does not identify the unique identifier for the connection chain or to one if the request received by the first device does identify the unique identifier for the connection chain.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) further comprises passing, by the first device, the information about the unique identifier and the hop count in the request forwarded to the next device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) further comprises forwarding, by the first device, the information about the unique identifier and the hop count via one of a transmission control protocol option field, an hypertext transfer protocol header or as part of a transmission control protocol SYN packet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) further comprises forwarding, by the first device, an indicator of one of the unique identifier or the hop count in the request and providing the unique identifier and the hop count via a subsequent data packet.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating, by first device, the unique identifier and the hop count with at least analytics data generated at the first device for the connection chain.

11. A system for associating multiple transport layer hops between a client and a server, the system comprising:

a first device of a plurality of devices intermediary to a client and a server, the first device configured to;

receive a request for a transport layer connection between the client and the server;

generate a unique identifier to identify a connection chain between the client and the server across a plurality of transport layer connections via the plurality of devices;

set a hop count of a number of hops between the client and the server based on whether or not the request identifies the unique identifier; and

forward information about the unique identifier and the hop count to a next device of the plurality of devices, wherein the hop count is increased by the next device responsive to receiving the unique identifier.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a second device of the plurality of devices is configured to receive the request forwarded by the first connection.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second device is further configured to determine whether the request has information about the unique identifier for the connection chain.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second device is further configured to obtain, responsive to the determination, the unique identifier for the connection chain and the hop count, and incrementing the hop count by a predetermined value.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second device is further configured to forward the unique identifier and the hop count via a next transport layer connection to the server.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first device is further configured to set the hop count to zero if the request received by the first device does not identify the unique identifier for the connection chain or to one if the request received by the first device does identify the unique identifier for the connection chain.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first device is further configured to pass the information about the unique identifier and the hop count in the request forwarded to the next device.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first device is further configured to forward the information about the unique identifier and the hop count via one of a transmission control protocol option field, an hypertext transfer protocol header or as part of a transmission control protocol SYN packet.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the first device is further configured to forward an indicator of one of the unique identifier or the hop count in the request and providing the unique identifier and the hop count via a subsequent data packet.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the first device is further configured to associate the unique identifier and the hop count with at least analytics data generated at the first device for the connection chain.