Method and system for communicating a request packet in response to a state

• US 20020116475A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloudrock LLC (Slingshot Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Noatak Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Berg, Mitchell T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• 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 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a first computing device receives an initialization packet originating from a client. In response to at least the initialization packet, the first computing device outputs a response packet to the client. Also, the first device receives a request packet originating from the client. In response to at least the request packet and a state of at least one of the first computing device and a second computing device, the first computing device outputs the request packet to the second computing device for performing an operation in response to the request packet.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device for;

receiving an initialization packet originating from a client;

in response to at least the initialization packet, outputting a response packet to the client;

receiving a request packet originating from the client; and

in response to at least the request packet and a state of at least one of the first computing device and a second computing device, selectively outputting the request packet to the second computing device for performing an operation in response to the request packet.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is a network interface card.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the operation is part of a software application.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the software application is a socket application.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the initialization packet is addressed by the client to the first computing device, and wherein the first computing device is for receiving the initialization packet in response to the addressing.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the operation includes outputting a response packet to the client, and wherein the first computing device is for:

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the request packet to the second computing device for outputting the response packet to the client, such that the output response packet bypasses the first computing device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is for receiving the initialization packet through a global computer network.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first computing device is for selectively outputting the request packet to the second computing device through a local area network.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is for:

in response to at least the initialization packet, establishing a data structure of a connection with the client; and

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the data structure to the second computing device for associating an application of the second computing device with the data structure of the connection.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is for:

in response to at least the initialization packet, establishing a data structure of a connection with the client, the data structure including a group of sequence numbers associated with the connection.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first computing device is for:

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the data structure to the second computing device for performing the operation in response to the data structure, the operation including outputting a response packet to the client according to the group of sequence numbers, such that the output response packet bypasses the first computing device.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the group of sequence numbers includes at least one start sequence number, at least one current sequence number, and at least one acknowledgement sequence number.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is for:

in response to at least the initialization packet, establishing a data structure of a connection with the client, the data structure including an address of the first computing device; and

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the data structure to the second computing device for performing the operation in response to the data structure, the operation including outputting a response packet to the client with a source address equal to the address of the first computing device, such that the output response packet bypasses the first computing device.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the address includes an IP address.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the address includes a port.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the port is a TCP port.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the port is a UDP port.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first computing device is a network interface card.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the operation is part of a software application.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the software application is a socket application.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the initialization packet is addressed by the client to the first computing device, and wherein the method comprises:

receiving the initialization packet in response to the addressing.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the operation includes outputting a response packet to the client, and wherein the method comprises:

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the request packet to the second computing device for outputting the response packet to the client, such that the output response packet bypasses the first computing device.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the method comprises:

receiving the initialization packet through a global computer network.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the method comprises:

selectively outputting the request packet to the second computing device through a local area network.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the method comprises:

in response to at least the initialization packet, establishing a data structure of a connection with the client; and

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the data structure to the second computing device for associating an application of the second computing device with the data structure of the connection.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the method comprises:

in response to at least the initialization packet, establishing a data structure of a connection with the client, the data structure including a group of sequence numbers associated with the connection.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the method comprises:

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the data structure to the second computing device for performing the operation in response to the data structure, the operation including outputting a response packet to the client according to the group of sequence numbers, such that the output response packet bypasses the first computing device.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the group of sequence numbers includes at least one start sequence number, at least one current sequence number, and at least one acknowledgement sequence number.

30. The method of claim 18 wherein the method comprises:

in response to at least the initialization packet, establishing a data structure of a connection with the client, the data structure including an address of the first computing device; and

in response to at least the request packet and the state, selectively outputting the data structure to the second computing device for performing the operation in response to the data structure, the operation including outputting a response packet to the client with a source address equal to the address of the first computing device, such that the output response packet bypasses the first computing device.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the address includes an IP address.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the address includes a port.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the port is a TCP port.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the port is a UDP port.

18. A method performed by a first computing device of an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving an initialization packet originating from a client;

in response to at least the initialization packet, outputting a response packet to the client;

receiving a request packet originating from the client; and

in response to at least the request packet and a state of at least one of the first computing device and a second computing device, selectively outputting the request packet to the second computing device for performing an operation in response to the request packet.