Distributed cache for state transfer operations

• US 10,091,320 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Erickson, Rodger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US15/701,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20180013852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network arrangement that employs a cache having copies distributed among a plurality of different locations. The cache stores state information for a session with any of the server devices so that it is accessible to at least one other server device. Using this arrangement, when a client device switches from a connection with a first server device to a connection with a second server device, the second server device can retrieve state information from the cache corresponding to the session between the client device and the first server device. The second server device can then use the retrieved state information to accept a session with the client device.

Claims

1. A method for re-establishing a communication connection, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information from a client device at a first server, the request for information related to a communication session previously established with a second server, wherein the previously established communication session with the second server had been terminated;

requesting information relating to the previously established communication session from one or more other servers, the requested information including state information relating to the previously established communication session that is stored in a cache memory associated with the one or more other servers, the state information including historical information associated with the previously established communication session;

receiving the requested information from the one or more other servers including the historical information; and

re-establishing the communication session via the first server with the client device based on the received information from the one or more other servers according to the historical information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information relating to the previously established communication session from at least one of the other servers.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the received information in a cache memory of the first server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a subsequent request relating to the previously established communication session and re-establishing the communication session based on the information stored in the cache memory of the first server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more other servers comprises a respective cache memory that is local to the respective other server and that stores information for re-establishing a respective previously established communication session with one or more other client devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the state information includes authentication information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the state information includes an encryption key.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for re-establishing a communication connection, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information from a client device at a first server, the request for information related to a communication session previously established with a second server, wherein the previously established communication session with the second server had been terminated;

requesting information relating to the previously established communication session from one or more other servers, the requested information including state information relating to the previously established communication session that is stored in a cache memory associated with the one or more other servers, the state information including historical information associated with the previously established communication session;

receiving the requested information from the one or more other servers; and

re-establishing the communication session via the first server with the client device based on the received information from the one or more other servers according to the historical information.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to receive information relating to the previously established communication session from at least one of the other servers.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to store information the received information in a cache memory of the first server.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the program further comprises instructions executable to receive a subsequent request relating to the previously established communication session and to re-establish the communication session based on the information stored in the cache memory of the first server.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more other servers comprises a respective cache memory that is local to the respective other server and that stores information for re-establishing a respective previously established communication session with one or more other client devices.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the state information includes authentication information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the state information includes an encryption key.

15. A system for re-establishing a communication connection, the system comprising:

a first server that receives a request for information from a client device; and

one or more other servers comprising at least a second server, wherein the request for information related to a communication session previously established with the second server, wherein the previously established communication session with the second server had been terminated;

wherein the first server;

requests information relating to the previously established communication session from the one or more other servers, the requested information including state information relating to the previously established communication session that is stored in a cache memory associated with the one or more other servers, the state information including historical information associated with the previously established communication session,

receives the requested information from the one or more other servers including the historical information, and

re-establishes the communication session via the first server with the client device based on the received information from the one or more other servers according to the historical information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first server further receives information relating to the previously established communication session from at least one of the other servers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first server further stores the received information in a cache memory.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first server further receives a subsequent request relating to the previously established communication session and re-establishes the communication session based on the information stored in the cache memory of the first server.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the one or more other servers comprises a respective cache memory that is local to the respective other server and that stores information for re-establishing a respective previously established communication session with one or more other client devices.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the state information includes authentication information.