System and method for high performance shared web hosting

• US 20040054793A1
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Web.Com Holding Company, Inc. (Web.com Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Web.Com Holding Company, Inc. (Web.com Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coleman, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/286,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054793A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client

Abstract

A system for shared web hosting includes a plurality of web servers coupled to a shared table data structure, wherein the web servers serve web pages to client computer systems. The web servers all couple to a security server that transmits web page requests to the shared table data structure. A website configuration server and virtual host information server couple to the shared table. The virtual host information server couples to a storage device that includes dynamic mapping information. Dynamic mapping information identifies the web server or web servers hosting a web site at any given time. The website configuration server includes static non-changing configuration information for each owner'"'"'s web site. The non-changing information describes web sites hosted on the web server. The shared table also stores copies of recently accessed non-changing information and dynamic mapping information for web pages.

Claims

1. A system for shared web hosting, comprising:

at least two of a first computer means coupled to a shared table, wherein the first computer means serve web pages to clients;

a second computer means coupled to the first computer means, wherein the second computer means transmits web page requests to the shared table;

a third computer means coupled to the shared table;

a fourth computer means coupled to the shared table, wherein the fourth computer means couples to a storage device that includes dynamic mapping information; and

wherein the shared table stores non-changing information and dynamic mapping information for web pages.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic mapping information identifies the first computer mean hosting a web site at any given time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first computer mean is a web server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer means transmits web page requests to the first computer means.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second computer means is a security server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-changing information for all web sites is stored on a storage device coupled to the third computer means, wherein the non-changing information describes web sites hosted on the first computer mean.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the third computer means is a website configuration server.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more hardware devices executing firewall software, wherein said hardware devices couple to the first computer means; and

one or more load balancing devices coupled to the first computer means.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second computer means receives web page requests through the Internet from clients.

10. The system of claim 10, wherein the fourth computer means is a virtual host information server.

11. A method for shared web hosting, comprising:

verifying that a web page request is allowed access to information in a web site;

transmitting the web page request to a plurality of web servers and a control means after verification;

performing a lookup of a data structure means to determine identification information for the web page request, wherein the identification information includes website configuration information and virtual host information; and

routing the web page request to one or more of the web servers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of verifying further comprises authenticating user identification information to determine web site access.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein verification is performed by a centralized authentication server (CAS).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein verification information is stored on computer means coupled to the CAS.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the control means is a shared table controller.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the data structure means is a shared table.

17. A system for shared web hosting, comprising:

at least two of a first computer means coupled to a second computer means, wherein the first computer means each couple to a storage device that includes web site configuration and virtual host information;

a third computer means coupled to each of the first computer means, wherein the third computer means transmits web page requests to the second computer means; and

wherein the second computer means periodically update configuration and virtual host information on all the first computer means to maintain coherency.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first computer means is a web server.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the second computer means is a synchronization server.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the third computer means is a security server.