SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WEIGHTED MONITORING OF NETWORK SERVICES

• US 20080043617A1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Schekochikhin, Arcady, Shetty, Anil, Kamath, Sandeep, Verzunov, Sergey
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• 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 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer

Abstract

A method for determining service availability using a plurality of weighted monitoring agents includes: establishing, by an appliance, a plurality of agents, the plurality of agents monitoring a service executing on a server, and each agent having an assigned weight; computing, by the appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational; determining, by the appliance, the sum falls below a given threshold; and transmitting, by the appliance, an indication that the service is unusable. Corresponding systems are also described.

Claims

1. A method for determining service availability using a plurality of weighted monitoring agents, the method comprising:

(a) establishing, by an appliance, a plurality of agents, the plurality of agents monitoring a service executing on a server, and each agent having an assigned weight;

(b) computing, by the appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational;

(c) determining, by the appliance, the sum falls below a given threshold; and

(d) transmitting, by the appliance, an indication that the service is unusable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises establishing, by an appliance, a plurality of agents, the plurality of agents monitoring a service executing on a server, and each agent having an assigned weight, and wherein at least one of the agents comprises an interpreted script.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(b-a) receiving, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is operational; and

(b-b) computing, by the appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(b-a) receiving, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is not responding; and

(b-b) computing, by the appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(b-a) receiving, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service response time is below a given threshold; and

(b-b) computing, by the appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the step of transmitting, by the appliance to a client agent, an application routing table indicating that the service is unusable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the steps of:

(d-a) receiving, from a client, a request identifying the service; and

(d-b) forwarding, by the appliance, the request to a second service operating on a second server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the steps of:

(d-a) receiving, from a client, a request identifying the service;

(d-b) identifying, by the appliance, an application associated with the service;

(d-c) identifying, by the appliance, a second service associated with the application; and

(d-d) forwarding, by the appliance, the request to a second service operating on a second server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises the steps of:

(d-a) receiving, from a client, a request identifying the service;

(d-b) identifying, by the appliance, an application associated with the service;

(d-c) identifying, by the appliance, a second service associated with the application, wherein the second service executes on a second server; and

(d-d) forwarding, by the appliance, the request to a second service operating on a second server.

10. A computer implemented system for determining service availability using a plurality of weighted monitoring agents:

a network appliance which establishes a plurality of agents, the plurality of agents monitoring a service executing on a server, and each agent having an assigned weight;

computes a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational; and

determines the sum falls below a given threshold; and

transmits an indication that the service is unusable.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance establishes a plurality of agents, the plurality of agents monitoring a service executing on a server, and each agent having an assigned weight, and wherein at least one of the agents comprises an interpreted script.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance receives, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is operational;

and computes a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance receives, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is not responding;

and computes a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance receives, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service response time is below a given threshold;

and computes, by the appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance transmites, to a client agent, an application routing table indicating that the service is unusable.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance receives, from a client, a request identifying the service;

and forwards the request to a second service operating on a second server.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance receives, from a client, a request identifying the service;

identifies an application associated with the service;

identifies a second service associated with the application; and

forwards the request to a second service operating on a second server.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the appliance receives, from a client, a request identifying the service;

identifies an application associated with the service;

identifies a second service associated with the application, wherein the second service executes on a second server; and

forwards the request to a second service operating on a second server.