Distributing application traffic to servers based on dynamic service response time

• US 10,178,165 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Jalan, Rajkumar, Szeto, Ronald Wai Lun, Xu, Feilong
• Primary Examiner(s): Recek, Jason D
• Application Number:
  US15/882,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems for distributing application traffic. A method for distributing application traffic may commence with receiving, from a host, a first service request for a first service session. The first service request may be associated with a service request time. The method may continue with relaying the first service request from a service gateway to a server. The method may further include receiving, from the server, a service response. The service response may be associated with a service response time. The method may continue with calculating a service processing time for the first service request based on the service request time and the service response time. The method may further include receiving, from the host, a second service request for a second service session. The method may continue with selectively relaying the second server request to the server based on the service processing time.

Claims

1. A system for distributing application traffic, the system comprising:

a server of a plurality of servers, the server being configured to process service requests; and

a service gateway comprising a processor and a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable program code, when executed by the processor, causes the service gateway to;

receive, from a host, a first service request for a first service session, the first service request being associated with a service request time;

relay the first service request from the service gateway to the server;

receive, from the server, a service response, the service response being associated with a service response time;

calculate a service processing time for the first service request based on the service request time and the service response time, the expected service processing time being determined by the service gateway and stored in a datastore together with a service attribute of a service request or a service attribute of one of the plurality of servers, the service gateway determining the expected service processing time by comparing the service attribute of the first service request or the service attribute of the server with the service attribute in the datastore, and if the service attribute of the first service request or the service attribute of the server matches the service attribute in the datastore, retrieving the expected service processing time associated with the matching service attribute from the datastore, wherein the expected service processing time is variable based on the matching service attribute;

compare the service processing time with an expected service processing time for the server to determine whether the service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least a threshold amount;

receive, from the host, a second service request for a second service session; and

selectively relay the second server request to the server based on the service processing time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the service attribute is one or more of the following:

a URL, a protocol, a domain name, a web folder name, and a document type.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the service gateway is further configured to update a server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing, wherein a server busy indicator for each of the plurality of servers is maintained at the service gateway.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the updating the server busy indicator for the server comprises:

in response to determining that the service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, updating, by the service gateway, the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is busy; and

in response to determining that the service processing time does not exceed the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, updating, by the service gateway, the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is not busy.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the selectively relaying the second server request to the server comprises:

checking, by the service gateway, the server busy indicator for the server;

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is busy, placing, by the service gateway, the second service request in a service request buffer of the service gateway and maintaining a connection to the host; and

in response to that determination that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is not busy, relaying, by the service gateway, the second service request from the service gateway to the server.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the selectively relaying the second service request from the service gateway to the server comprises:

checking, by the service gateway, whether the service request buffer is empty;

in response to determining that the service request buffer is empty, relaying, by the service gateway, the second service request from the service gateway to the server; and

in response to determining that the service request buffer is not empty, placing, by the service gateway, the second service request in the service request buffer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second service request is associated with a priority, the service request buffer being configured to store service requests associated with the priority, and wherein the placing the second service request in the service request buffer of the service gateway further comprises:

relaying the second service request in the service request buffer from the service gateway to a further server of the plurality of servers according to the priority.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the calculating the service processing time for the first service request comprises:

calculating, by the service gateway, the service processing time for the first service request as a duration between the service request time and the service response time.

9. A method for distributing application traffic, the method comprising:

receiving, from a host, by a service gateway, a first service request for a first service session, the first service request being associated with a service request time;

relaying, by the service gateway, the first service request from the service gateway to a server of a plurality of servers;

receiving, by the service gateway, from the server, a service response, the service response being associated with a service response time;

calculating, by the service gateway, a service processing time for the first service request based on the service request time and the service response time, the expected service processing time being determined by the service gateway and stored in a datastore together with a service attribute of a service request or a service attribute of one of the plurality of servers, the service gateway determining the expected service processing time by comparing the service attribute of the first service request or the service attribute of the server with the service attribute in the datastore, and if the service attribute of the first service request or the service attribute of the server matches the service attribute in the datastore, retrieving the expected service processing time associated with the matching service attribute from the datastore, wherein the expected service processing time is variable based on the matching service attribute;

compare the service processing time with an expected service processing time for the server to determine whether the service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least a threshold amount;

receiving, by the service gateway, from the host, a second service request for a second service session; and

selectively relaying, by the service gateway, the second server request to the server based on the service processing time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating, by the service gateway, a server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing, wherein a server busy indicator for each of the plurality of servers is maintained at the service gateway.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the updating the server busy indicator for the server comprises:

in response to determining that the service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, updating, by the service gateway, the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is busy; and

in response to determining that the service processing time does not exceed the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, updating, by the service gateway, the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is not busy.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the selectively relaying the second server request to the server comprises:

checking, by the service gateway, the server busy indicator for the server;

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is busy, placing, by the service gateway, the second service request in a service request buffer of the service gateway and maintaining a connection to the host; and

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is not busy, relaying, by the service gateway, the second service request from the service gateway to the server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selectively relaying the second service request from the service gateway to the server comprises:

checking, by the service gateway, if the service request buffer is empty;

in response to determining that the service request buffer is empty, relaying, by the service gateway, the second service request from the service gateway to the server; and

in response to determining that the service request buffer is not empty, placing, by the service gateway, the second service request in the service request buffer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second service request is associated with a priority, the service request buffer is configured to store service requests associated with the priority, and wherein the placing the second service request in the service request buffer of the service gateway further comprises:

relaying the second service request in the service request buffer from the service gateway to a further server of the plurality of servers according to the associated priority.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the calculating the service processing time for the first service request comprises:

calculating, by the service gateway, the service processing time for the first service request as a duration between the service request time and the service response time.