Capacity-on-demand in distributed computing environments

• US 20040049579A1
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lusardi, Richard J., Li, Yongcheng, Ims, Steven D., Xing, Jie
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• 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]

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by using dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques for re-routing traffic in a distributed computing network. When demand on an enterprise'"'"'s resources exceeds some predetermined level, dynamic modifications cause static content (such as images) to be served from resources which are external to the enterprise, such as a caching system which is located close to the enterprise'"'"'s end users. When demand falls below the predetermined level, the modifications are effectively reversed, such that the external resources are no longer used. The predetermined level may apply to a single monitored device, or to a group of monitored devices. The dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques may also be used for dynamic types of content, such as for dynamically re-routing access to an application program executing on an external resource, and may be used for internal capacity-on-demand as well.

Claims

1. A method of using dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques for re-routing traffic in a distributed computing network, comprising steps of:

comparing current workload conditions, at a system which receives a content request, to one or more threshold values to determine a current operational mode of the receiving system; and

serving a modified version of the requested content, or an unmodified version of the requested content, depending on the current operational mode,

wherein;

the modified version is programmatically created from the unmodified version by rewriting selected ones of one or more embedded content references within the unmodified version; and

the rewritten content references refer to resources which are external to an enterprise in which the receiving system is located, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the external resources; and

the embedded content references in the unmodified version refer to local resources of the enterprise, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the local resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the programmatic creation of the modified version further comprises replacing one or more selected ones of the embedded content references within the unmodified version, such that the replaced content references no longer refer to resources.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving system is a caching proxy and the current workload conditions pertain to the caching proxy.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving system is a load balancer and the current workload conditions pertain to one or more devices for which the load balancer balances workload.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold values include a peak mode threshold and wherein the serving step serves the modified version when the current operational mode is a peak mode that reflects exceeding the peak mode threshold.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the threshold values include an intermediate mode threshold and wherein the serving step serves the unmodified version when the current operational mode is an intermediate mode that reflects exceeding the intermediate mode threshold but not the peak mode threshold, and further comprising the step of creating modified versions of content when the current operational mode is the intermediate mode.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the serving step serves the modified version during the peak mode only if the peak mode threshold is exceeded when the request for the content is received.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the threshold values are specified as load balancing policy, and wherein one or more caching proxies are activated to perform the serving step when the modified versions of the requested content are to be served.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of caching the modified version as a cache variant of the unmodified version.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing a copy of content referenced by the embedded content references on the external resources; and

using the externally-stored copy to serve the subsequent requests.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of creating the modified version according to rules specifying which embedded content references are subject to modification and how those embedded content references should be modified.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the rules are specified using a structured markup language.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resources are storage resources.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resources are edgeable applications.

15. A method of using dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques for re-routing traffic in a distributed computing network, comprising steps of:

comparing current workload conditions, at a system which receives a content request, to one or more threshold values to determine a current operational mode of the receiving system; and

serving a modified version of the requested content, or an unmodified version of the requested content, depending on the current operational mode,

wherein;

the modified version is programmatically created from the unmodified version by rewriting selected ones of one or more embedded content references within the unmodified version; and

the rewritten content references refer to shared resources which are internal to an enterprise in which the receiving system is located, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the shared internal resources; and

the embedded content references in the unmodified version refer to dedicated resources of the system, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the shared internal resources.

16. A method of hosting content for an enterprise, comprising steps of:

providing storage resources for use by the enterprise;

receiving notification that a current workload of the enterprise has crossed a threshold after which the content hosting is desired;

determining a local storage location on the provided storage resources for storing, at least temporarily, copies of each of one or more selected resources of the enterprise;

storing the copies of the one or more selected resources in the determined local storage locations;

programmatically modifying content of the third party to refer to selected ones of the determined local storage locations, such that subsequent requests for content references which are embedded in the programmatically modified content will be automatically diverted from the enterprise; and

serving the copies of particular ones of the one or more selected resources from the determined local storage resources, responsive to receiving the subsequent diverted requests for the particular ones.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of charging the enterprise for use of the provided storage resources.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of charging the enterprise for serving the copies from the determined local storage resources.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of charging the enterprise for storing the copies of the one or more selected resources.

20. A method of providing resources for temporary use by one or more enterprises, comprising steps of:

providing resources for use by a particular enterprise when resources internal to the enterprise are insufficient, as dynamically determined by one or more capacity thresholds of the particular enterprise; and

processing requests for the provided resources upon demand of the particular enterprise.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of charging the particular enterprise for the processing.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the resources are storage resources.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the resources are application resources.

24. A system for using dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques for re-routing traffic in a distributed computing network, comprising:

means for comparing current workload conditions, at a system which receives a content request, to one or more threshold values to determine a current operational mode of the receiving system; and

means for serving a modified version of the requested content, or an unmodified version of the requested content, depending on the current operational mode,

wherein;

the modified version is programmatically created from the unmodified version by rewriting selected ones of one or more embedded content references within the unmodified version; and

the rewritten content references refer to storage resources which are external to an enterprise in which the receiving system is located, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the external storage resources; and

the embedded content references in the unmodified version refer to local storage resources of the enterprise, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the local storage resources.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the programmatic creation of the modified version further comprises replacing one or more selected ones of the embedded content references within the unmodified version, wherein that the replaced content references no longer refer to storage resources.

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein the receiving system is a caching proxy and the current workload conditions pertain to the caching proxy.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein the receiving system is a load balancer and the current workload conditions pertain to one or more devices for which the load balancer balances workload.

33. The system according to claim 24, further comprising:

means for storing a copy of content referenced by the embedded content references on the external storage resources; and

means for using the externally-stored copy to serve the subsequent requests.

34. The system according to claim 24, further comprising means for creating the modified version according to rules specifying which embedded content references are subject to modification and how those embedded content references should be modified.

35. A computer program product for using dynamic capacity-on-demand techniques for re-routing traffic in a distributed computing network, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising:

computer-readable program code means for comparing current workload conditions, at a system which receives a content request, to one or more threshold values to determine a current operational mode of the receiving system; and

computer-readable program code means for serving a modified version of the requested content, or an unmodified version of the requested content, depending on the current operational mode,

wherein;

the modified version is programmatically created from the unmodified version by rewriting selected ones of one or more embedded content references within the unmodified version; and

the rewritten content references refer to storage resources which are external to an enterprise in which the receiving system is located, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the external storage resources; and

the embedded content references in the unmodified version refer to local storage resources of the enterprise, such that subsequent requests for each of the embedded content references are automatically directed to the local storage resources.

36. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the programmatic creation of the modified version further comprises replacing one or more selected ones of the embedded content references within the unmodified version, wherein that the replaced content references no longer refer to storage resources.

37. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the receiving system is a caching proxy and the current workload conditions pertain to the caching proxy.

38. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the receiving system is a load balancer and the current workload conditions pertain to one or more devices for which the load balancer balances workload.

39. The computer program product according to claim 35, wherein the threshold values include a peak mode threshold and wherein the computer-readable program code means for serving serves the modified version when the current operational mode is a peak mode that reflects exceeding the peak mode threshold.

40. The computer program product according to claim 39, wherein the threshold values include an intermediate mode threshold and wherein the computer-readable program code means for serving serves the unmodified version when the current operational mode is an intermediate mode that reflects exceeding the intermediate rode threshold but not the peak mode threshold, and further comprising the step of creating modified versions of content when the current operational mode is the intermediate mode.

41. The computer program product according to claim 39, wherein the computer-readable program code means for serving serves the modified version during the peak mode only if the peak mode threshold is exceeded when the request for the content is received.

42. The computer program product according to claim 38, wherein the threshold values are specified as load balancing policy, and wherein one or more caching proxies are activated to perform the computer-readable program code means for serving when the modified versions of the requested content are to be served.

43. The computer program product according to claim 35, further comprising computer-readable program code means for caching the modified version as a cache variant of the unmodified version.

44. The computer program product according to claim 35, further comprising:

computer-readable program code means for storing a copy of content referenced by the embedded content references on the external storage resources; and

computer-readable program code means for using the externally-stored copy to serve the subsequent requests.

45. The computer program product according to claim 35, further comprising

computer-readable program code means for creating the modified version according to rules specifying which embedded content references are subject to modification and how those embedded content references should be modified.

46. The computer program product according to claim 40, further comprising computer-readable program code means, responsive to receiving content requests when the current operating mode is the intermediate mode, for sending corresponding requests to a provider of the external resources to cause the provider to retrieve a copy of content referenced by the embedded content references.