Method and apparatus for a distributed server tree

• US 20030093462A1
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VL Collective IP, LLC (VideoLabs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Koskelainen, Petri, Vainikainen, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for reducing server load. Requests are received for a service at a first server from a plurality of client devices. The first server decides to identify one or more other servers to provide the service to some of the plurality of client devices. An address is requested of one or more second servers from a server address management entity. A resource identifier is created at the second servers. Some of the plurality of client devices are redirected to get the service from the one or more second servers. A distributed server tree is formed. The first server provides the service to the second servers to be then provided to some of the plurality of client devices, therefore, reducing the load on the first server and providing more efficient service to the plurality of client devices. The servers may be Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) servers.

Claims

1. A method for reducing server load comprising:

receiving requests for a service at a first server from a plurality of client devices;

determining to identify at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the plurality of client devices;

requesting an address of at least one second server from a server address management entity;

creating a resource identifier at the at least one second server; and

redirecting at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second server,

wherein the first server provides the service to the at least one second server to be then provided to the some of the plurality of client devices, therefore, reducing the load on the first server and providing more efficient service to the plurality of client devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the requests for the service at the first server from web browsers at the plurality of client devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on current load of the first server.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a location of the some of the plurality of client devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a domain of the some of the plurality of client devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Domain Naming System (DNS) server.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Service Location Protocol (SLP) server.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first server and the at least one second server are SIP servers.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving the requests for the service at the first SIP server by receiving one of a SIP SUBSCRIBE message and a SIP INVITE message from the plurality of client devices.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising requesting an address of a Service Location Protocol (SLP) server from a Domain Naming System (DNS) server, and requesting the address of the at least one second server from the SLP server.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving requests comprising subscriptions to a notification service at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising further comprising receiving subscriptions to one of a sports event notification service, a news event notification service, and a financial event notification service at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving requests comprising invitations to a group communications at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising receiving invitations to one of a group conference call and a chat group at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the at least one second server:

determining to identify at least one other server to provide the service to the at least some of the plurality of client devices;

requesting an address of at least one third server from the server address management entity;

creating a resource identifier at the at least one third server; and

redirecting at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one third server,

wherein the load on the at least one second server is reduced.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the plurality of client devices from a list of known servers.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising optimizing the service to the at least some of the plurality of client devices by balancing the load among the at least one second server.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising optimizing the service to the at least some of the plurality of client devices by redirecting some of the at least some of the plurality of client devices from the at least one second server to get the service from at least one third server.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resource identifier comprises one of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) and a group identifier.

20. A system for reducing server load comprising:

a first server; and

a tree of servers comprising at least one second server, the tree of servers providing a service received from the first server to a plurality of clients devices,

wherein a load on the first server and each at least one second server is optimized to provide the service to the plurality of client devices more efficiently.

21. The system according to claim 20, further comprising a Domain Naming System (DNS) server, the DNS server providing addresses of each at least one second server to allow incorporation of the at least one second server into the tree of servers.

22. The system according to claim 20, further comprising a Service Location Protocol (SLP) server, the SLP server providing addresses of each at least one second server to allow incorporation of the at least one second server into the tree of servers.

23. The system according to claim 20, wherein the first server and the tree of servers comprise SIP servers.

24. An article comprising a storage device with instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a computing device to perform:

receiving requests for a service from a plurality of client devices;

determining to identify at least one server to provide the service to at least some of the plurality of client devices;

requesting an address of at least one second server from a server address management entity;

creating a resource identifier at the at least one second server; and

redirecting at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second server,

wherein the computing device provides the service to the at least one second server to be then provided to the some of the plurality of client devices, therefore, reducing the load on the computing device and providing more efficient service to the plurality of client devices.

25. The article according to claim 24, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on current load of the computing device.

26. The article according to claim 24, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a location of the some of the plurality of client devices.

27. The article according to claim 26, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a domain of the some of the plurality of client devices.

28. The article according to claim 24, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Domain Naming System (DNS) server.

29. The article according to claim 24, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Service Location Protocol (SLP) server.

30. The article according to claim 24, wherein the computing device and the at least one second server comprise SIP servers.

31. The article according to claim 30, further comprising receiving the requests for the service at the computing device by receiving one of a SIP SUBSCRIBE message and a SIP INVITE message from the plurality of client devices.

32. The article according to claim 24, further comprising requesting an address of a Service Location Protocol (SLP) server from a Domain Naming System (DNS) server, and requesting the address of the at least one second server from the SLP server.

33. The article according to claim 24, wherein the resource identifier comprises one of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) and a group identifier.

34. A server, the server having instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing the server to perform:

receiving requests for a service from a plurality of client devices;

determining to identify at least one second server to provide the service to at least some of the plurality of client devices;

requesting an address of the at least one second server from a server address management entity;

creating a resource identifier at the at least one second server; and

redirecting at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second server,

wherein the computing device provides the service to the at least one second server to be then provided to the some of the plurality of client devices, therefore, reducing the load on the server and providing more efficient service to the plurality of client devices.

35. The server according to claim 34, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on current load of the server.

36. The server according to claim 34, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a location of the some of the plurality of client devices.

37. The server according to claim 34, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a domain of the some of the plurality of client devices.

38. The server according to claim 34, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Domain Naming System (DNS) server.

39. The server according to claim 34, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Service Location Protocol (SLP) server.

40. The server according to claim 34, wherein the server and the at least one second server comprise SIP servers.