Load balancing

• US 20050022203A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Radware Limited
• Original Assignee: Radware Limited
• Inventors: Zisapel, Roy, Peless, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• 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
• 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 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A method for load balancing requests on a network, the method including receiving a request from a requester having a requester network address at a first load balancer having a first load balancer network address, the request having a source address indicating the requestor network address and a destination address indicating the first load balancer network address, forwarding the request from the first load balancer to a second load balancer at a triangulation network address, the request source address indicating the requester network address and the destination address indicating the triangulation network address, the triangulation network address being associated with the first load balancer network address, and sending a response from the second load balancer to the requestor at the requestor network address, the response having a source address indicating the first load balancer network address associated with the triangulation network address and a destination address indicating the first requestor network address.

Claims

1-21. -21. (Cancelled)

22. A method for non-geographical load balancing requests on a network, the method comprising:

polling a requestor to determine network proximity of said requestor with respect to each of at least two load balancers located at different geographical locations;

designating one of said at least two load balancers having best network proximity with respect to said requestor; and

directing requests from said requestor to said one of said at least two load balancers having said best network proximity.

23. A method according to claim 22 and further comprising directing requests from any source having a subnet that is the same as the subnet of said requestor to said one of said at least two load balancers having said best network proximity.

24. A method according to claim 22 and wherein said network proximity is determined at least partially by at least one of latency and number of hops between said requestor and each of said at least two load balancers,

25. A method according to claim 22 and wherein said network proximity is determined at least partially by at least one of latency, current load, available capacity and number of hops between said requestor and each of said at least two load balancers.

26. A method for non-geographical load balancing requests on a network, the method comprising:

polling a requestor to determine network proximity of said requestor with respect to each of at least two servers located at different geographical locations;

designating one or said at least two servers having best network proximity with respect to said requestor; and

directing requests from said requestor to said one of said at least two servers laving said best network proximity.

27. A method according to claim 26 and further comprising directing requests from any source having a subnet that is the same as the subnet of said requestor to said one of said at least two servers having said best network proximity.

28. A method according to claim 26 and wherein said network proximity is determined at least partially by at least one of latency and number of hops between said requestor and each of said at least two servers.

29. A method according to claim 26 and wherein said network proximity is determined at least partially by at least one of latency, current load, available capacity and number of hops between said requestor and each of said at least two servers.

30. A network non-geographical load balancing system comprising:

a network;

a requestor connected to said network; and

at least two load balancers connected to said network, at least one of said at least two load balancers being operative to poll said requestor, thereby to determine one of said at least two load balancers having best network proximity with respect to said requestor and to direct requests from said requestor to said load balancer having best network proximity to said requestor.

31. A network non-geographical load balancing system according to claim 30 and also comprising at least two servers connected to said network;

and wherein said network proximity is determined at least partially by at least one of network latency between said requestor and each of said at least two load balancers, number of hops between said requestor and each of said at least two load balancers, processing capacity of each of said at least two load balancers and processing capacity of each of said at least two servers.

32. A method for determining network proximity, the method comprising:

polling a requestor; and

based on said polling, determining network proximity of said requestor with respect to each of at least two servers located at different geographical locations.

33. A method for determining network proximity according to claim 32 and also comprising designating one of said at least two servers having best network proximity with respect to said requestor.

34. A method according to claim 32 and wherein said network proximity is determined at least partially by at least one of latency and number of hops between said requestor and each or said at least two servers.

35. A method according to claim 33 and wherein said network proximity is determined at least partially by at least one of latency and number of hops between said requestor and each of said at least two servers.

36. A system comprising:

a network;

a requestor connected to said network; and

at least two solvers connected to said network, at least one of said at least two servers being operative to poll said requestor, thereby to determine network proximity with respect to said requestor.

37. A system according to claim 36 and wherein said at least one of said at least two servers is also operative to designate said one of said at least two servers having best network proximity with respect to said requestor.