System, network device, method, and computer program product for active load balancing using clustered nodes as authoritative domain name servers
First Claim
1. A system for performing active load balancing using at least one network device of a cluster of network devices as an authoritative domain name server, wherein the system comprises:
- a plurality of network devices grouped in a cluster, wherein each network device has a different respective device internet protocol (IP) address;
wherein one of the network devices is designated as a master device;
wherein the master device is assigned an IP address as the authoritative domain name server;
wherein each network device is capable of communicating status information to at least the master device in the cluster;
wherein the master device is capable of receiving a domain name service (DNS) query based upon a client request, selecting one of the network devices to communicate with the client based on the status information of each of the network devices, and returning a device IP address of the selected one of the network devices in response to the DNS query.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cluster of devices is provided that shares a domain name and functions as the authoritative name server for the domain. Each device or node in the cluster would typically repeatedly announce status information to all the other nodes in the cluster, such that all the nodes in the cluster are aware of the status information of all other nodes. One of the nodes in the cluster would be designated as a master node. The master node would be assigned an IP address as an authoritative name server, and as such would receive DNS queries for the domain. The master node would select one of the nodes in the cluster to communicate with the client as a result of the DNS query, using the status information of each of the nodes to balance the load on the nodes. The master node would communicate the IP address of the selected node.
66 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for performing active load balancing using at least one network device of a cluster of network devices as an authoritative domain name server, wherein the system comprises:
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a plurality of network devices grouped in a cluster, wherein each network device has a different respective device internet protocol (IP) address;
wherein one of the network devices is designated as a master device;
wherein the master device is assigned an IP address as the authoritative domain name server;
wherein each network device is capable of communicating status information to at least the master device in the cluster;
wherein the master device is capable of receiving a domain name service (DNS) query based upon a client request, selecting one of the network devices to communicate with the client based on the status information of each of the network devices, and returning a device IP address of the selected one of the network devices in response to the DNS query. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A network device for serving as an authoritative domain name server and for performing active load balancing amongst a cluster of a plurality of network devices, wherein the network device comprises:
a processor capable of receiving status information from each of the plurality of network devices grouped in the cluster;
the processor further capable of receiving a domain name service (DNS) query based upon a client request, selecting one network device from among the cluster of the network devices including the network device itself to communicate with a client based on the status information of each of the network devices, and returning the device IP address of the selected one of the network devices in response to the DNS query.- View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of performing active load balancing using at least one network device of a cluster of network devices as an authoritative domain name server, wherein the method comprises:
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designating one of the network devices of the cluster as a master device, wherein the master device is assigned an IP address as the authoritative domain name server;
communicating status information from each network device to at least the master device in the cluster;
receiving a domain name service (DNS) query based upon a client request;
selecting one of the network devices to communicate with the client, based on the status information of each of the network devices; and
returning a device IP address of the selected one of the network devices in response to the DNS query. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer program product for serving as an authoritative domain name server and for performing active load balancing amongst a cluster of a plurality of network devices, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
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a first executable portion capable of receiving status information from each of the plurality of network devices grouped in the cluster;
a second executable portion capable of receiving a domain name service (DNS) query based upon a client request;
a third executable portion capable of selecting one network device from among the cluster of the network devices to communicate with a client based on the status information of each of the network devices; and
a fourth executable portion capable of returning the device IP address of the selected one of the network devices in response to the DNS query. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification