Load balancing using distributed forwarding agents with application based feedback for different virtual machines

• US 20050249199A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Albert, Mark, Tiwari, Pranav Kumar, O'Rourke, Chris, Menditto, Louis F., Kersey, Edward C., Howes, Richard A., Tsang, Tzu-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,686 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• 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

Abstract

A system and method are described for selecting a server to handle a connection. The method includes receiving at a service manager a connection request intercepted by a network device having a forwarding agent that is operative to receive instructions from a service manager, the connection request having been forwarded from the forwarding agent on the network device to the service manager. A preferred server is selected at the service manager from among a group of available servers. The preferred server is the server that is to service the connection request. Instructions are sent from the service manager to the forwarding agent. The instructions include the preferred server that is to service the connection request so that the connection request may be forwarded from the network device to the preferred server.

Claims

1. A forwarding agent for processing packets in a communication network, comprising:

a network interface operable to receive a packet associated with a communication session from a network;

a service manager interface operable to receive instructions from a service manager identifying how to process and route the packet;

a processor operable to process and route the packet according to the instructions associated therewith, the processor operable to route other packets associated with the communication session in accordance with the instructions without further intervention by the service manager.

2. The forwarding agent of claim 1, wherein the instructions received by the service manager interface are general instructions for handling a new communication session.

3. The forwarding agent of claim 1, wherein the packet is a first packet associated with a new communication session, the processor operable to process and route the packet according to general instructions received from the service manager.

4. The forwarding agent of claim 3, wherein the processor is operable to request specific instructions from the service manager associated with the new communication session, the service manager interface operable to receive the specific instructions associated with the packet and the new communication session from the service manager.

5. The forwarding agent of claim 4, wherein the specific instructions override the general instructions for other packets associated with the new communication session.

6. The forwarding agent of claim 1, wherein the instructions instruct the processor to provide the packet to the service manager.

7. The forwarding agent of claim 6, wherein the service manager interface is operable to receive the packet with specific instructions associated therewith.

8. The forwarding agent of claim 1, wherein the instructions include a destination for the packet.

9. The forwarding agent of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to register with a multicast group, the multicast group operable to provide the instructions to the service manager interface.

10. The forwarding agent of claim 1, wherein the packet is one of a SYN and SYN ACK packet.

11. A method for processing packets in a communication network, comprising:

receiving a packet associated with a communication session from a network;

receiving instructions from a service manager identifying how to process and route the packet;

processing and routing the packet according to the instructions associated therewith;

processing and routing other packets associated with the communication session in accordance with the instructions without further intervention by the service manager.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

processing and routing the packet according to general instructions received from the service manager, the packet being a first packet associated with a new communication session.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

forwarding the packet to the service manager in accordance with the general instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving specific instructions associated with the packet and the new communication session from the service manager.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the specific instructions override the general instructions for other packets associated with the new communication session.

17. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

means for processing and routing the packet according to general instructions received from the service manager, the packet being a first packet associated with a new communication session.

18. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

means for forwarding the packet to the service manager in accordance with the general instructions.

19. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving specific instructions associated with the packet and the new communication session from the service manager.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the specific instructions override the general instructions for other packets associated with the new communication session.

16. A device for processing packets in a communication network, comprising:

means for receiving a packet associated with a communication session from a network;

means for receiving instructions from a service manager identifying how to process and route the packet;

means for processing and routing the packet according to the instructions associated therewith;

means for processing and routing other packets associated with the communication session in accordance with the instructions without further intervention by the service manager.

21. A computer readable medium including code for processing packets in a communication network, the code operable to:

receive a packet associated with a communication session from a network;

receive instructions from a service manager identifying how to process and route the packet;

process and route the packet according to the instructions associated therewith;

process and route other packets associated with the communication session in accordance with the instructions without further intervention by the service manager.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the code is further operable to:

process and route the packet according to general instructions received from the service manager, the packet being a first packet associated with a new communication session.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code is further operable to:

forward the packet to the service manager in accordance with the general instructions.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive specific instructions associated with the packet and the new communication session from the service manager.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the specific instructions override the general instructions for other packets associated with the new communication session.