Proximity Routing For Session Based Applications Using Anycast

• US 20090113057A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spatscheck, Oliver, Van der Merwe, Jacobus
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise automatically providing content to an information device from a content distribution node of a plurality of content distribution nodes. The information device can be adapted to send a request for the content from the first content distribution node utilizing an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the content distribution node.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

automatically providing content to an information device from a first content distribution node of a plurality of content distribution nodes, said information device adapted to send a second request for said content from said first content distribution node utilizing a unicast Internet Protocol (IP) address of said first content distribution node, said information device provided said unicast IP address responsive to a first request comprising an anycast IP address and an automatic determination that said content is associated with a first long-lived session, said first content distribution node addressable by either said anycast IP address or said unicast IP address, said anycast IP address provided to said information device from a Domain Name System (DNS) server, if said first content distribution node fails, said information device adapted to automatically request a second long-lived from a second content distribution node via said anycast IP address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said first request for said content from said information device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to said first request from said information device for said content, automatically requesting said content from a content provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to said first request from said information device for said content, automatically providing said content from a cache comprised by said first content distribution node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicatively coupling said information device with said first content distribution server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at a provider edge router, based upon preferred routes provided by an Intelligent Route Service Control Point, automatically changing a selected content distribution server that said information device would be routed to in event that said information device requests a third long-lived session utilizing said anycast IP address, said selected content distribution server assigned said anycast IP address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically causing said first long-lived session to be established.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining that said first long-lived session is a long-lived session.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically providing said information device with said unicast IP address.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first content distribution node is a logically nearest content distribution node to said information device, an automatic determination that said first content distribution node is logically nearest to said information device made by a Provider Edge router based upon preferred routes assigned by an Intelligent Route Service Control Point (IRSCP), said preferred routes based upon automatically detected traffic loads in a network communicatively coupled to said information device, said IRSCP adapted to dynamically change said preferred routes.

11. A method comprising:

automatically receiving content at an information device, said content provided from a first content distribution node of a plurality of content distribution nodes, said information device adapted to make a second request for said content from said first content distribution node utilizing a unicast Internet Protocol (IP) address of said first content distribution node, said information device provided said unicast IP address responsive to a first request for content that comprises an anycast IP address and an automatic determination that said content is associated with a first long-lived session, said first content distribution node addressable by either said anycast IP address or said unicast IP address, said anycast IP address provided to said information device from a Domain Name System (DNS) server, if said first content distribution node fails, said information device adapted to automatically request a second long-lived from a second content distribution node via said anycast IP address.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

via a domain name portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), sending a message to said DNS server, said DNS server adapted to provide said anycast IP address responsive to said message.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically causing said first long-lived session to be established.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending a domain name portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to said DNS server, said DNS server adapted to obtain said anycast IP address from a DNS based redirection system directly coupled to a backbone network.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically causing a DNS based redirection system directly coupled to a backbone network to provide said anycast IP address to said DNS server.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

via a Provider Edge (PE) router, automatically communicatively coupling said information device to said first content distribution node, said PE router adapted to determine that said first content distribution node is a logically nearest node of said plurality of content distribution nodes.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said first content distribution node is a logically nearest content distribution node to said information device, an automatic determination that said first content distribution node is logically nearest to said information device based upon preferred routes assigned by an Intelligent Route Service Control Point (IRSCP), said preferred routes based upon automatically detected traffic loads in a network communicatively coupled to said first information device, said IRSCP adapted to dynamically change said preferred routes.

18. A machine-readable medium comprising machine instructions for activities comprising:

automatically providing content to an information device from a content distribution node of a plurality of content distribution nodes, said information device adapted to send a second request for said content from said content distribution node utilizing a unicast Internet Protocol (IP) address of said content distribution node, said information device provided said unicast IP address responsive to a first request for said content that comprises an anycast IP address of said content distribution node and an automatic determination that said content is associated with a long-lived session, said content distribution node addressable by either said anycast IP address or said unicast IP address, said anycast IP address provided to said information device from a Domain Name System (DNS) server, said content distribution node a logically nearest node of said plurality of content distribution nodes to said information device, an automatic determination that said content distribution node is logically nearest to said information device based upon preferred routes assigned by an Intelligent Route Service Control Point (IRSCP), said preferred routes based upon automatically detected traffic loads in a network communicatively coupled to said information device, said IRSCP adapted to dynamically change said preferred routes.

19. A system comprising:

an Intelligent Route Service Control Point (IRSCP) directly coupled to a backbone network, said IRSCP adapted to automatically detect traffic loads in a network communicatively coupled to a information device, said IRSCP adapted to dynamically change preferred routes provided to a plurality of Provider Edge (PE) routers responsive to said traffic loads; and

a Domain Name System (DNS) based redirection system directly coupled to a backbone network, said DNS based redirection system adapted to provide an anycast IP address to a DNS server responsive to a domain name portion of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) received by said DNS server from said information device, said domain name portion of said URL indicative of a request by said information device for content, said anycast IP address assigned to a plurality of content distribution nodes, each of said plurality of content distribution nodes assigned a unique unicast IP address, each of said plurality of content distribution nodes addressable by said anycast IP address or said unique unicast IP address, via a selected PE router of said plurality of PE routers, said anycast IP address adapted to be used to communicatively couple said information device to a selected content distribution node of said plurality of content distribution nodes, responsive to a determination that said content is associated with a long-lived session of a potential plurality of long-lived sessions, said selected content distribution node adapted to provide said information device with said unique unicast IP address of said selected content distribution node, said information device adapted to utilize said unique unicast IP address in communications with said selected content distribution node regarding only long-lived sessions of said potential plurality of long-lived sessions.