Automatic proxy registration and discovery in a multi-proxy communication system

• US 20080091812A1
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vasetsky, Leonid, Kaminsky, Daniel, Lev-Ran, Etai
• Granted Patent: US 9,154,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

One embodiment comprises an apparatus for automatic proxy registration and discovery in a multi-proxy communication system. The apparatus executes a proxy server that is configured to provide optimized connections to remote proxy servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Wide Area Network (WAN). A file server, which is communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Local Area Network (LAN), is automatically discovered. An association record corresponding to the file server is created, where the association record identifies the file server and the proxy server and indicates that the proxy server is configured to provide the remote proxy servers with optimized connections to the file server. The association record is registered with a centralized database server, where the remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a proxy server operable to provide optimized connections to remote proxy servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Wide Area Network (WAN); and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

automatically discovering a file server that is communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Local Area Network (LAN);

creating an association record corresponding to the file server, wherein the association record identifies the file server and the proxy server and indicates that the proxy server is configured to provide the remote proxy servers with optimized connections to the file server; and

registering the association record with a centralized database server, wherein the remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the file server is one of a plurality of file servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over the LAN; and

the one or more stored sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

automatically discovering each of the plurality of file servers;

creating a plurality of association records corresponding to the plurality of file servers, wherein each association record identifies a corresponding file server of the plurality of file servers and the proxy server and indicates that the proxy server is configured to provide the remote proxy servers with optimized connections to the corresponding file server; and

registering each of the plurality of association records with the centralized database server.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:

prior to automatically discovering the file server, receiving from a remote proxy server a request to determine whether the proxy server is configured to provide optimized connections to the file server; and

in response to receiving the request, performing the steps of automatically discovering the file server, creating the association record, and registering the association record with the centralized database server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions that cause automatically discovering the file server further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:

sending a request to determine a name of a site to which the file server belongs;

receiving a response that includes the name of the site to which the file server belongs;

based on the name of the site, determining whether the file server and the proxy server belong to the same site; and

creating the association record and registering the association record with the centralized database server only when the file server and the proxy server belong to the same site.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the association record further includes a proximity metric that indicates, at any given time, how fast any connection between the proxy server and the file server would be; and

the one or more stored sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

periodically determining values of the proximity metric based on measurements reflecting the network load between the proxy server and the file server; and

sending the values of the proximity metric to the centralized database server;

wherein the centralized database server is operable to periodically update the association record with the received values of the proximity metric and, based on a current value of the proximity metric, to periodically determine whether to deactivate the association record.

6. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a proxy server operable to provide optimized connections to one or more remote proxy servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Wide Area Network (WAN); and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

receiving, from a client, a request to connect to a file server that is communicatively connected to the proxy server over the WAN, wherein the client is communicatively connected to the proxy server over a first Local Area Network (LAN);

determining a particular remote proxy server of the one or more remote proxy servers that is configured to provide an optimized connection to the file server, wherein the particular remote proxy server is communicatively connected to the file server over a second LAN; and

causing the proxy server to establish, through the particular remote proxy server, the optimized connection between the client and the file server.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions that cause determining the particular remote proxy server further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:

in response to receiving the request from the client, sending a query to a centralized database server, wherein the query includes information identifying the file server;

wherein the one or more remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN;

in response to the query, receiving at least one association record from the centralized database server, wherein the at least one association record indicates at least one remote proxy server that is configured to provide the optimized connection to the file server; and

selecting the particular remote proxy server based on the at least one association record.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:

storing the at least one association record in a cache;

receiving, from a second client, a second request to connect to the file server;

checking the cache to determine whether the cache stores any association records that indicate any remote proxy servers which are configured to provide a second optimized connection to the file server;

locating the at least one association record in the cache;

based on the at least one association record, determining that the particular remote proxy server of the one or more remote proxy servers is configured to provide the second optimized connection to the file server; and

causing the proxy server to establish, through the particular remote proxy server, the second optimized connection between the second client and the file server.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions that cause determining the particular remote proxy server further comprise instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause:

in response to receiving the request from the client, sending a query to a centralized database server, wherein the query includes information identifying the file server;

wherein the one or more remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN;

in response to the query, receiving a message from the centralized database server indicating that there are no association records that indicate any remote proxy servers configured to provide the optimized connection to the file server; and

in response to receiving the message from the centralized database server, sending a discovery request to the one or more remote proxy servers, wherein the discovery request indicates the file server and instructs the one or more remote proxy servers to determine the nearest remote proxy server to the file server.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for executing a proxy server operable to provide optimized connections to remote proxy servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Wide Area Network (WAN);

means for automatically discovering a file server that is communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Local Area Network (LAN);

means for creating an association record corresponding to the file server, wherein the association record identifies the file server and the proxy server and indicates that the proxy server is configured to provide the remote proxy servers with optimized connections to the file server; and

means for registering the association record with a centralized database server, wherein the remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the file server is one of a plurality of file servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over the LAN; and

the apparatus further comprises;

means for automatically discovering each of the plurality of file servers;

means for creating a plurality of association records corresponding to the plurality of file servers, wherein each association record identifies a corresponding file server of the plurality of file servers and the proxy server and indicates that the proxy server is configured to provide the remote proxy servers with optimized connections to the corresponding file server; and

means for registering each of the plurality of association records with the centralized database server.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving from a remote proxy server a request to determine whether the proxy server is configured to provide optimized connections to the file server prior to automatically discovering the file server; and

means for invoking, in response to receiving the request, the means for automatically discovering the file server, the means for creating the association record, and the means for registering the association record with the centralized database server.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means for automatically discovering the file server further comprise:

means for sending a request to determine a name of a site to which the file server belongs;

means for receiving a response that includes the name of the site to which the file server belongs;

means for determining, based on the name of the site, whether the file server and the proxy server belong to the same site; and

means for creating the association record and registering the association record with the centralized database server only when the file server and the proxy server belong to the same site.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the association record further includes a proximity metric that indicates, at any given time, how fast any connection between the proxy server and the file server would be; and

the apparatus further comprises;

means for periodically determining values of the proximity metric based on measurements reflecting the network load between the proxy server and the file server; and

means for sending the values of the proximity metric to the centralized database server;

wherein the centralized database server is operable to periodically update the association record with the received values of the proximity metric and, based on a current value of the proximity metric, to periodically determine whether to deactivate the association record.

15. An apparatus comprising:

means for executing a proxy server operable to provide optimized connections to one or more remote proxy servers that are communicatively connected to the proxy server over a Wide Area Network (WAN);

means for receiving, from a client, a request to connect to a file server that is communicatively connected to the proxy server over the WAN, wherein the client is communicatively connected to the proxy server over a first Local Area Network (LAN);

means for determining a particular remote proxy server of the one or more remote proxy servers that is configured to provide an optimized connection to the file server, wherein the particular remote proxy server is communicatively connected to the file server over a second LAN; and

means for causing the proxy server to establish, through the particular remote proxy server, the optimized connection between the client and the file server.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining the particular remote proxy server further comprise:

means for sending, in response to the request from the client, a query to a centralized database server, wherein the query includes information identifying the file server;

wherein the one or more remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN;

means for receiving, in response to the query, at least one association record from the centralized database server, wherein the at least one association record indicates at least one remote proxy server that is configured to provide the optimized connection to the file server; and

means for selecting the particular remote proxy server based on the at least one association record.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for operating a cache;

means for storing the at least one association record in the cache;

means for receiving, from a second client, a second request to connect to the file server;

means for checking the cache to determine whether the cache stores any association records that indicate any remote proxy servers which are configured to provide a second optimized connection to the file server;

means for locating the at least one association record in the cache;

means for determining, based on the at least one association record, that the particular remote proxy server of the one or more remote proxy servers is configured to provide the second optimized connection to the file server; and

means for causing the proxy server to establish, through the particular remote proxy server, the second optimized connection between the second client and the file server.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining the particular remote proxy server further comprise:

means for sending, in response to the request from the client, a query to a centralized database server, wherein the query includes information identifying the file server;

wherein the one or more remote proxy servers are communicatively connected to the centralized database server over the WAN;

means for receiving, in response to the query, a message from the centralized database server indicating that there are no association records that indicate any remote proxy servers configured to provide the optimized connection to the file server; and

means for sending a discovery request to the one or more remote proxy servers when no association records are returned by the centralized database server in response to the query, wherein the discovery request indicates the file server and instructs the one or more remote proxy servers to determine the nearest remote proxy server to the file server.

19. A multi-proxy communication system comprising:

a first proxy server;

a second proxy server, wherein the first proxy server and the second proxy server are communicatively connected over a Wide Area Network (WAN);

a centralized database server that is communicatively connected to the first proxy server and the second proxy server;

first logic coupled to the first proxy server, wherein the first logic when executed by one or more first processors is operable to;

cause the first proxy server to provide optimized connections to the second proxy server over the WAN;

automatically discover one or more file servers that are communicatively connected to the first proxy server over a first Local Area Network (LAN);

create one or more association records corresponding to the one or more file servers, wherein each of the one or more association records identifies a corresponding file server and the first proxy server and indicates that the first proxy server is configured to provide the second proxy server with optimized connections to the corresponding file server; and

register the one or more association records with the centralized database server; and

second logic coupled to the second proxy server, wherein the second logic when executed by one or more second processors is operable to;

receive, from a client, a request to connect to a particular file server of the one or more file servers, wherein the client is communicatively connected to the second proxy server over a second LAN;

query the centralized database server to receive at least one association record, wherein the at least one association record indicates at least one remote proxy server that is configured to provide an optimized connection to the particular file server;

based on the at least one association record, determine that the first proxy server is configured to provide the optimized connection to the particular file server; and

establish, through the first proxy server, the optimized connection between the client and the particular file server.

20. The multi-proxy communication system of claim 19, further comprising a cache in a computer-readable storage medium that is coupled to the second proxy server, wherein the second logic when executed by the one or more second processors is operable to store the at least one association record in the cache and to search through any association records that are stored in the cache.