Flexible network load balancing

• US 20040267920A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Joy, Joseph M., Welland, Robert V., Hydrie, Aamer
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In an exemplary media implementation, one or more processor-accessible media include processor-executable instructions that, when executed, enable a system to facilitate actions including: operating network load balancing infrastructure in a first configuration; scaling out the network load balancing infrastructure; and operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure in a second configuration. In another exemplary media implementation, one or more processor-accessible media include processor-executable instructions that, when executed, enable a system to be configured such that different percentages of system resources may be allocated to different network-load-balancing functions. In yet another exemplary media implementation, one or more processor-accessible media include processor-executable instructions for network load balancing that, when executed, enable a system to gradually increase a percentage of total computing resources that is devoted to the network load balancing. Other implementations are described herein.

Claims

1. A method for flexible network load balancing, the method comprising:

operating network load balancing infrastructure in a first configuration;

scaling out the network load balancing infrastructure; and

operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure in a second configuration.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scaling out comprises:

adjusting a resource distribution between a first load balancing functionality and a second load balancing functionality.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the scaling out further comprises:

adjusting the resource distribution among the first load balancing functionality, the second load balancing functionality, and a third load balancing functionality.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the first load balancing functionality and the second load balancing functionality are two different load balancing functionalities selected from the group comprising:

forwarding, classifying, request routing, health and/or load handling, session tracking, and connection migrating.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein:

the operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises load balancing network traffic with the first load balancing functionality utilizing a first percentage of load balancing resources and with the second load balancing functionality utilizing a second percentage of the load balancing resources; and

the operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises load balancing network traffic with the first load balancing functionality utilizing a third percentage of the load balancing resources and with the second load balancing functionality utilizing a fourth percentage of the load balancing resources.

6. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a system to perform the method as recited in claim 1.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scaling out comprises:

adding at least one network-load-balancing functional component to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the scaling out further comprises:

adding at least two network-load-balancing functional components to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the adding at least two network-load-balancing functional components comprises:

adding the at least two network-load-balancing functional components of a single network-load-balancing functional type.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the adding at least two network-load-balancing functional components comprises:

adding the at least two network-load-balancing functional components of different network-load-balancing functional types.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the adding comprises:

adding the at least one network-load-balancing functional component, wherein the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component comprises at least part of one or more devices.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the adding comprises:

adding the at least one network-load-balancing functional component, wherein the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component is selected from the group comprising;

a forwarder, a classifier, a request router, a health and/or load handler, a session tracker, and a connection migrator.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises routing network traffic utilizing a plurality of network-load-balancing functional components that do not include the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component; and

the operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises routing network traffic utilizing the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components and the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scaling out comprises:

moving at least a portion of network-load-balancing functionality from a device that executes host functionality to another device that does not execute host functionality.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the moving comprises:

moving the at least a portion of network-load-balancing functionality by transferring software from the device that executes host functionality to the other device that does not execute host functionality.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein:

the operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises routing, at least occasionally, network traffic internally within the device to the host functionality executing thereon; and

the operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises routing, at least occasionally, network traffic from the other device to the host functionality executing on the device.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the scaling out further comprises:

moving at least one network-load-balancing functional component from the device that executes host functionality to the other device that does not execute host functionality.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the moving at least one network-load-balancing functional component comprises:

moving a forwarder and a classifier from the device that executes host functionality to the other device that does not execute host functionality.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scaling out comprises:

adding a device to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure; and

distributing network-load-balancing functionality onto the added device.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein:

the operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises load balancing network traffic using a plurality of devices that does not include the added device; and

the operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises load balancing network traffic using the plurality of devices and the added device.

21. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, enable a system to facilitate actions comprising:

operating network load balancing infrastructure in a first configuration;

scaling out the network load balancing infrastructure; and

operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure in a second configuration.

22. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 21, wherein the action of scaling out comprises an action of:

adjusting a resource distribution between a first load balancing functionality and a second load balancing functionality.

23. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 22, wherein the action of scaling out further comprises an action of:

adjusting the resource distribution among the first load balancing functionality, the second load balancing functionality, and a third load balancing functionality.

24. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 22, wherein the first load balancing functionality and the second load balancing functionality are two different load balancing functionalities selected from the group comprising:

forwarding, classifying, request routing, health and/or load handling, session tracking, and connection migrating.

25. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 22, wherein:

p1 the action of operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of load balancing network traffic with the first load balancing functionality utilizing a first percentage of load balancing resources and with the second load balancing functionality utilizing a second percentage of the load balancing resources; and

the action of operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of load balancing network traffic with the first load balancing functionality utilizing a third percentage of the load balancing resources and with the second load balancing functionality utilizing a fourth percentage of the load balancing resources.

26. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the processor-executable instructions comprise at least part of network load balancing software.

27. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 21, wherein the action of scaling out comprises an action of:

adding at least one network-load-balancing functional component to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure.

28. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 27, wherein the action of scaling out further comprises an action of:

adding at least two network-load-balancing functional components to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure.

29. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 28, wherein the action of adding at least two network-load-balancing functional components comprises an action of:

adding the at least two network-load-balancing functional components of a single network-load-balancing functional type.

30. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 28, wherein the action of adding at least two network-load-balancing functional components comprises an action of:

adding the at least two network-load-balancing functional components of different network-load-balancing functional types.

31. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 27, wherein the action of adding comprises an action of:

adding the at least one network-load-balancing functional component, wherein the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component comprises at least part of one or more devices.

32. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 27, wherein the action of adding comprises an action of:

adding the at least one network-load-balancing functional component, wherein the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component is selected from the group comprising;

a forwarder, a classifier, a request router, a health and/or load handler, a session tracker, and a connection migrator.

33. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 27, wherein:

the action of operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of routing network traffic utilizing a plurality of network-load-balancing functional components that do not include the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component; and

the action of operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of routing network traffic utilizing the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components and the added at least one network-load-balancing functional component.

34. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 21, wherein the action of scaling out comprises an action of:

moving at least a portion of network-load-balancing functionality from a device that executes host functionality to another device that does not execute host functionality.

35. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 34, wherein the action of moving comprises an action of:

moving the at least a portion of network-load-balancing functionality by transferring processor-executable instructions from the device that executes host functionality to the other device that does not execute host functionality.

36. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 34, wherein:

the action of operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of routing, at least occasionally, network traffic internally within the device to the host functionality executing thereon; and

the action of operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of routing, at least occasionally, network traffic from the other device to the host functionality executing on the device.

37. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 34, wherein the action of scaling out further comprises an action of:

moving at least one network-load-balancing functional component from the device that executes host functionality to the other device that does not execute host functionality.

38. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 37, wherein the action of moving at least one network-load-balancing functional component comprises an action of:

moving a forwarder and a classifier from the device that executes host functionality to the other device that does not execute host functionality.

39. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 21, wherein the action of scaling out comprises actions of:

adding a device to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure; and

distributing network-load-balancing functionality onto the added device.

40. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 39, wherein:

the action of operating network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of load balancing network traffic using a plurality of devices that does not include the added device; and

the action of operating the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure comprises an action of load balancing network traffic using the plurality of devices and the added device.

41. A system comprising:

a plurality of network-load-balancing functional components that form at least part of a network load balancing infrastructure; and

wherein the network load balancing infrastructure is capable of being scaled out from a first configuration of the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components to a second configuration of the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components.

42. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components comprises a first load balancing functionality and a second load balancing functionality;

and

wherein the network load balancing infrastructure is adapted to adjust a distribution of resources of the system between the first load balancing functionality and the second load balancing functionality.

43. The system as recited in claim 42, wherein the resources of the system comprise one or more of device resources, processor resources, memory resources, and network resources.

44. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the network load balancing infrastructure is adapted to enable adding at least one network-load-balancing functional component to the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components to produce the second configuration from the first configuration.

45. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the network load balancing infrastructure is adapted to move at least one network-load-balancing functional component of the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components from a device that executes host functionality to another device that does not execute host functionality.

46. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the system comprises at least one device and network load balancing code that is executing thereon.

47. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the system comprises a plurality of devices and network load balancing code, the network load balancing code executing on the plurality of devices in a distributed fashion.

48. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein the network load balancing infrastructure is adapted (i) to enable adding a device to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the second configuration from the first configuration and (ii) to distribute network-load-balancing functionality that is selected from the plurality of network-load-balancing functional components onto the added device.

49. A system for network load balancing, the system comprising:

a first device including network-load-balancing functionality;

a second device including network-load-balancing functionality; and

a third device including network-load-balancing functionality;

wherein the first device, the second device, and the third device interoperate with each other to provide the network load balancing.

50. The system as recited in claim 49, wherein the second device further includes application-hosting functionality.

51. The system as recited in claim 49, wherein at least one specific network-load-balancing function that is included on the first device is not included on the third device.

52. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, enable a system to be configured such that different percentages of system resources may be allocated to different network-load-balancing functions.

53. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 52, wherein the network-load-balancing functions of the different network-load-balancing functions are selected from the group comprising:

forwarding, classifying, request routing, health and/or load handling, session tracking, and connection migrating.

54. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 52, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further enable system resource allocations to the different network-load-balancing functions to be changed from time to time.

55. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 54, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, further enable changes to the system resource allocations to be performed while network load balancing is occurring.

56. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 52, wherein the one or more processor-accessible media comprise at least one of (i) one or more storage media and (ii) one or more transmission media.

57. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions for network load balancing that, when executed, enable a system to gradually increase a percentage of total computing resources that is devoted to the network load balancing.

58. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 57, wherein the system comprises a part of a device, comprises a single device, or comprises a plurality of devices.

59. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 57, wherein at least a portion of the total computing resources that is not devoted to the network load balancing is devoted to application hosting.

60. An arrangement comprising:

means for configuring network load balancing infrastructure into a first configuration;

means for scaling out the network load balancing infrastructure; and

means for configuring the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure into a second configuration.

61. The arrangement as recited in claim 60, wherein the means for scaling out comprises:

means for adjusting a resource distribution between a first load balancing functionality and a second load balancing functionality of the network load balancing infrastructure.

62. The arrangement as recited in claim 60, wherein the means for scaling out comprises:

means for adding at least one network-load-balancing functional component to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure.

63. The arrangement as recited in claim 60, wherein the means for scaling out comprises:

means for moving at least a portion of network-load-balancing functionality from a device that executes host functionality to another device that does not execute host functionality.

64. The arrangement as recited in claim 60, wherein the means for scaling out comprises:

means for adding a device to the network load balancing infrastructure to produce the scaled-out network load balancing infrastructure; and

means for distributing network-load-balancing functionality onto the added device.

65. The arrangement as recited in claim 60, wherein the arrangement comprises at least one device.

66. The arrangement as recited in claim 60, wherein the arrangement comprises one or more processor-accessible media.

67. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions for network load balancing that, when executed, enable network load balancing functionality to be separated into individual network load balancing functionalities of at least classifying functionality, forwarding functionality, and request routing functionality;

wherein each of the classifying functionality, the forwarding functionality, and the request routing functionality may be scaled out independently.

68. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 67, wherein the processor-executable instructions for network load balancing, when executed, further enable the network load balancing functionality to be separated into individual network load balancing functionalities of at least session tracking functionality, health and load handling functionality, connection migrating functionality, and tunneling functionality;

wherein each of the session tracking functionality, the health and load handling functionality, the connection migrating functionality, and the tunneling functionality may be scaled out independently.

69. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 67, wherein the scaling out comprises at least one of moving an individual network load balancing functionality to a new device, adding a component to which an individual network load balancing functionality is directed, and increasing, allocated resources that are devoted to an individual network load balancing functionality.

70. One or more processor-accessible media comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a system to perform actions comprising:

allocating a first portion of a total set of resources to a forwarder of a network load balancing infrastructure;

allocating a second portion of the total set of resources to a classifier of the network load balancing infrastructure; and

increasing the second portion of the total set of resources that is allocated to the classifier of the network load balancing infrastructure.

71. The one or more processor-accessible media as recited in claim 70, comprising the processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the system to perform a further action comprising:

decreasing the first portion of the total set of resources that is allocated to the forwarder of the network load balancing infrastructure.

72. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

one or more media including processor-executable instructions that are capable of being executed by the at least one processor, the processor-executable instructions adapted to direct the system to perform actions comprising;

allocating a first portion of a set of resources of the system to a first network-load-balancing-related functionality;

allocating a second portion of the set of resources of the system to a second network-load-balancing-related functionality; and

changing the second portion of the set of resources of the system that is allocated to the second network-load-balancing-related functionality.

73. The system as recited in claim 72, wherein the set of resources of the system comprises one or more of (i) a device, (ii) a plurality of devices, (iii) a number of processor cycles on at least one device, (iv) an amount of memory available for consumption, and (v) a level of available network bandwidth.