Overprovisioning floating IP addresses to provide stateful ECMP for traffic groups

• US 10,257,156 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Torzillo, Antonio, Thomson, James Arthur, Szabo, Paul I., Baumann, William Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Mundur, Padma
• Application Number:
  US14/702,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/042 comprising distributed management centres cooperatively managing the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards overprovisioning IP addresses among a plurality of traffic management devices (TMDs). A plurality of IP addresses may be distributed among a plurality of available TMDs. A corresponding mirror TMD may be determined for each IP address. The corresponding mirror TMD for an IP address may be different than the available TMD currently associated with the IP address. In various embodiments, connections associated with each IP address may be mirrored at their corresponding mirror TMDs. The available TMDs may be employed to perform traffic management tasks on received packets based on at least a destination IP address of the received packets and the IP addresses associated with the available TMDs. If a TMD becomes unavailable, the IP addresses associated with the unavailable TMD may be redistributed to at least one remaining available TMD.

Claims

1. A method for managing packet traffic in a network, comprising:

over-provisioning a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses distributed to available traffic management devices (TMDs) in a plurality of TMDs, wherein an amount of the plurality of IP addresses is greater than an amount of the plurality of TMDs;

employing the available TMDs to perform traffic management on received packets based on at least a destination IP address of the received packets and each of the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the available TMDs, and wherein each connection for an available TMD is mirrored on another available TMD;

employing an unavailability of a previously available TMD to redistribute each connection on the previously available TMD to the mirrored connections on the other available TMD, wherein the redistributed connections include the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the unavailable TMD, wherein each IP address has a corresponding connection and a media access control (MAC) address that is assigned to the previously available TMD, and wherein the MAC address is reassigned to the other available TMD when the previously available TMD is currently unavailable; and

when an imbalance in a load on one or more of the available TMDs is detected due to the redistributed connections, employing a separate mapping table of each connection associated with each IP address that corresponds to each MAC address that is assigned to an available TMD to rebalance the load on the one or more available TMDs by distributing one or more connections among the available TMDs, wherein the rebalancing of the loads is prioritized over balancing a number of IP addresses distributed to the available TMDs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is a common multiple from 1 to a number based on the amount of the plurality of TMDs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is determined based on a rounding error within a predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining available TMDs as mirrors for other available TMDs that have one or more distributed IP addresses; and

for each mirror TMD, mirroring connections associated with each distributed IP address and each corresponding other TMD.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when more IP addresses are distributed to an available TMD than other available TMDs, load balancing connections corresponding to the more IP addresses to at least one other available TMD.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distribution of the plurality of IP addresses includes the distribution of a plurality of traffic groups that each include a pair of IP addresses, such that when a previously available TMD is currently unavailable, the plurality of traffic groups previously distributed to the unavailable TMD is redistributed to one or more currently available TMDs.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs increases; and

decreasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs decreases.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

employing a Disaggregator (DAG) and the mapping table to manage the plurality of IP address and their distribution, along with traffic flowing through the plurality of TMDs.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing frames to the plurality of IP addresses based on Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing the plurality of IP addresses for a next hop route using Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol based routing, wherein each of the plurality of IP addresses is used as a next hop IP address.

11. A apparatus for managing packet traffic in a network, comprising:

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor that executes the instructions to perform functions, including;

distributing a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to available traffic management devices (TMDs) in a plurality of TMDs, wherein an amount of the plurality of IP addresses is greater than an amount of the plurality of TMDs;

employing the available TMDs to perform traffic management on received packets based on at least a destination IP address if the received packets and each of the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the available TMDs, and wherein each connection for an available TMD is mirrored on another available TMD;

employing an unavailability of a previously available TMD to redistribute each connection on the previously available TMD to the mirrored connections on the other available TMD, wherein the redistributed connections include the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the unavailable TMD, wherein each IP address has a corresponding connection and a media access control (MAC) address that is assigned to the previously available TMD, and wherein the MAC address is reassigned to the other available TMD when the previously available TMD is currently unavailable; and

when an imbalance in a load on one or more of the available TMDs is detected due to the redistributed connections, employing a separate mapping table of each connection associated with each IP address that corresponds to each MAC address that is assigned to an available TMD to rebalance the load on the one or more available TMDs by distributing one or more connections among the available TMDs, wherein the rebalancing of the loads is prioritized over balancing a number of IP addresses distributed to the available TMDs.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is a common multiple from 1 to a number based on the amount of the plurality of TMDs.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is determined based on a rounding error within a predetermined threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising:

determining available TMDs as mirrors for other available TMDs that have one or more distributed IP addresses; and

for each mirror TMD, mirroring connections associated with each distributed IP address and each corresponding other TMD.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising, when more IP addresses are distributed to an available TMD than other available TMDs, load balancing connections corresponding to the more IP addresses to at least one other available TMD.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the distribution of the plurality of IP addresses includes the distribution of a plurality of traffic groups that each include a pair of IP addresses, such that when a previously available TMD is currently unavailable, the plurality of traffic groups previously distributed to the unavailable TMD is redistributed to one or more currently available TMDs.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising:

increasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs increases; and

decreasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs decreases.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising:

employing a Disaggregator (DAG) and mapping table to manage the plurality of IP address and their distribution, along with traffic flowing through the plurality of TMDs.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions comprising distributing frames to the plurality of IP addresses based on Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions comprising employing the plurality of IP addresses for a next hop route using Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol based routing, wherein each of the plurality of IP addresses is used as a next hop IP address.

21. A computer-readable non-transitory storage media that includes instructions for managing packet traffic in a network, wherein the execution of the instructions by a processor enables actions, comprising:

distributing a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to available traffic management devices (TMDs) in a plurality of TMDs, wherein an amount of the plurality of IP addresses is greater than an amount of the plurality of TMDs;

employing the available TMDs to perform traffic management on received packets based on at least a destination IP address of the received packets and each of the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the available TMDs, and wherein each connection for an available TMD is mirrored on another available TMD;

employing an unavailability of a previously available TMD to redistribute each connection on the previously available TMD to the mirrored connections on the other available TMD, wherein the redistributed connections include the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the unavailable TMD, wherein each IP address has a corresponding connection and a media access control (MAC) address that is assigned to the previously available TMD, and wherein the MAC address is reassigned to the other available TMD when the previously available TMD is currently unavailable; and

when an imbalance in a load on one or more of the available TMDs is detected due to the redistributed connections, employing a separate mapping table of each connection associated with each IP address that corresponds to each MAC address that is assigned to an available TMD to rebalance the load on the one or more available TMDs by distributing one or more connections among the available TMDs, wherein the rebalancing of the loads is prioritized over balancing a number of IP addresses distributed to the available TMDs.

22. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is a common multiple from 1 to a number based on the amount of the plurality of TMDs.

23. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is determined based on a rounding error within a predetermined threshold.

24. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, further comprising:

determining available TMDs as mirrors for other available TMDs that have one or more distributed IP addresses; and

for each mirror TMD, mirroring connections associated with each distributed IP address and each corresponding other TMD.

25. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, further comprising, when more IP addresses are distributed to an available TMD than other available TMDs, load balancing connections corresponding to the more IP addresses to at least one other available TMD.

26. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, wherein the distribution of the plurality of IP addresses includes the distribution of a plurality of traffic groups that each include a pair of IP addresses, such that when a previously available TMD is currently unavailable, the plurality of traffic groups previously distributed to the unavailable TMD is redistributed to one or more currently available TMDs.

27. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, further comprising:

increasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs increases; and

decreasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs decreases.

28. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, further comprising:

employing a Disaggregator (DAG) and mapping table to manage the plurality of IP address and their distribution, along with traffic flowing through the plurality of TMDs.

29. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, further comprising distributing frames to the plurality of IP addresses based on Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol.

30. The computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 21, further comprising employing the plurality of IP addresses for a next hop route using Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol based routing, wherein each of the plurality of IP addresses is used as a next hop IP address.

31. A system for managing packet traffic in a network, comprising:

at least one network device that includes;

a memory for storing instructions;

a processor that executes the instructions to enable actions, comprising;

distributing a plurality of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to available traffic management devices (TMDs) in a plurality of TMDs, wherein an amount of the plurality of IP addresses is greater than an amount of the plurality of TMDs;

employing the available TMDs to perform traffic management on received packets based on at least a destination IP address of the received packets and each of the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the available TMDs, and wherein each connection for an available TMD is mirrored on another available TMD;

employing an unavailability of a previously available TMD to redistribute each connection on the previously available TMD to the mirrored connections on the other available TMD, wherein the redistributed connections include the plurality of IP addresses previously distributed to the unavailable TMD, wherein each IP address has a corresponding connection and a media access control (MAC) address that is assigned to the previously available TMD, and wherein the MAC address is reassigned to the other available TMD when the previously available TMD is currently unavailable; and

when an imbalance in a load on one or more of the available TMDs is detected due to the redistributed connections, employing a separate mapping table of each connection associated with each IP address that corresponds to each MAC address that is assigned to an available TMD to rebalance the load on the one or more available TMDs by distributing one or more connections among the available TMDs, wherein the rebalancing of the loads is prioritized over balancing a number of IP addresses distributed to the available TMDs.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is a common multiple from 1 to a number based on the amount of the plurality of TMDs.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the amount of the plurality of IP addresses is determined based on a rounding error within a predetermined threshold.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising:

determining available TMDs as mirrors for other available TMDs that have one or more distributed IP addresses; and

for each mirror TMD, mirroring connections associated with each distributed IP address and each corresponding other TMD.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising, when more IP addresses are distributed to an available TMD than other available TMDs, load balancing connections corresponding to the more IP addresses to at least one other available TMD.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the distribution of the plurality of IP addresses includes the distribution of a plurality of traffic groups that each include a pair of IP addresses, such that when a previously available TMD is currently unavailable, the plurality of traffic groups previously distributed to the unavailable TMD is redistributed to one or more currently available TMDs.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising:

increasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs increases; and

decreasing the amount of the plurality of IP addresses when the amount of the plurality of TMDs decreases.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein the processor executes the instructions to perform further actions, comprising:

employing a Disaggregator (DAG) and mapping table to manage the plurality of IP address and their distribution, along with traffic flowing through the plurality of TMDs.

39. The system of claim 31, further comprising distributing frames to the plurality of IP addresses based on Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol.

40. The system of claim 31, further comprising employing the plurality of IP addresses for a next hop route using Equal Cost Multi-Path Routing (ECMP) protocol based routing, wherein each of the plurality of IP addresses is used as a next hop IP address.