METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING AN OPTIMALLY LOCATED STORAGE NODE IN A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20090144416A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: GALLAGHER, J. Gabriel, CHATLEY, Scott P., PHAN, Thanh T., GATCHELL, Troy C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,336,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 17/00 Drugs for dermatological disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2206/1012 Load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• 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 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method for locating an optimum storage node for serving a data file request received via a communications network, includes: receiving a file request from a user device coupled to the communications network; determining a geocode value based on a communications network address associated with the user device, wherein the geocode value is indicative of a geographic location of the user device; selecting a storage node from a plurality of storage nodes coupled to the communications network to serve the file request, wherein the storage node is selected based at least in part on the geocode value; and redirecting the file request to the selected storage node for handling.

Claims

1. A method for locating an optimum storage node for serving a data file request received via a communications network, comprising:

receiving a file request from a user device coupled to the communications network;

determining a geocode value based on a communications network address associated with the user device, wherein the geocode value is indicative of a geographic location of the user device;

selecting a storage node from a plurality of storage nodes coupled to the communications network to serve the file request, wherein the storage node is selected based at least in part on the geocode value; and

redirecting the file request to the selected storage node for handling.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications network comprises an internet communications network and the communications network address comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the file request comprises a file download request and selecting the storage node is further based on whether the storage node contains a file corresponding to the file download request.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected storage node is selected because it is determined to be the closest storage node to the user device among the plurality of storage nodes.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining if the selected storage node is near enough the user device and if it is determined that the selected storage node is not near enough, identifying a second storage node that is near enough and automatically directing subsequent requests by the user device to the second storage node.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein a distance between the selected storage node and the user device is determined by calculating a difference between a geocode value associated with the selected storage node and the geocode value associated with the user device.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting is further based on whether a number of current access requests being handled by the selected storage node indicates that the selected storage node is too busy.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting is further based on whether selecting one of the plurality of storage nodes violates a policy specified in a service level agreement (SLA) associated with the user device.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the selecting is further based on whether the communications network address associated with the user device is listed on a serve list contained within the selected storage node.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the selection comprises accessing a data table that correlates the plurality of storage nodes with a plurality of geocode values and determining which one of the plurality of storage nodes should serve the file request based on a priority value assigned to one or more of the plurality of storage nodes for the geocode value associated with the user device, wherein the selected node is associated with a highest priority value with respect to the geocode value associated with the user device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the data table comprises a geocode ID column containing a plurality of geocode values, a Priority ID column for containing priority values for respective ones of the plurality of storage nodes with respect to at least one of the geocode values, and a Node ID column for containing values associated with respective ones of the plurality of storage nodes.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of storage nodes is associated with at least one of a plurality of predefined geographic regions and the geocode value associated with the user device indicates that the user device is located in one of the plurality of predefined geographic regions.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of geographic regions are defined by areas within a predetermined radius of each of the plurality of storage nodes.

14. A method for handling requests for access to a network resource, comprising:

receiving a request to access a network resource;

correlating a network address associated with the request into a geocode value, wherein the geocode value is indicative of a geographic location of a source of the request;

selecting a network resource from among a plurality of available network resources based at least in part on the geocode value.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the network resource comprises a storage element and the network address comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected network resource is selected because it is determined to be a closest network resource to the source among the plurality of network resources.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining if the selected network resource is near enough the source and if it is determined that the selected network resource is not near enough, identifying a second network resource that is near enough and automatically directing subsequent requests from the same source to the second network resource.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein a distance between the selected network resource and the source is determined by calculating a difference between a geocode value associated with the selected network resource and the geocode value associated with the source.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the selection comprises accessing a data table that correlates the plurality of network resources with a plurality of geocode values and determining which one of the plurality network resources should be selected based on a priority value assigned to one or more of the plurality of network resources for the geocode value associated with the source, wherein the selected node is associated with a highest priority value with respect to the geocode value associated with the source.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of network resources is associated with at least one of a plurality of predefined geographic regions and the geocode value associated with the source indicates that the source is located in one of the plurality of predefined geographic regions.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the plurality of geographic regions are defined by areas within a predetermined radius of each of the plurality of network resources.

22. A system for providing access to a plurality of network resources coupled to a communications network, comprising:

a data table correlating a plurality of communications network addresses with a plurality of geocode values indicative of a geographic location corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of communications network addresses; and

a server for receiving a request to access a network resource, identifying a geocode value corresponding to a communications network address associated with the request, and selecting a network resource from among a plurality of network resources based at least in part on the identified geocode value.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the plurality of network resources comprise a plurality of storage elements and the plurality of communications network addresses comprises a plurality of internet protocol (IP) addresses.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the selected network resource is selected because it is determined to be a closest network resource to a source of the request among the plurality of network resources.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the server further comprises logic for determining if the selected network resource is near enough the source and if it is determined that the selected network resource is not near enough, identifying a second network resource that is near enough and automatically directing subsequent requests from the same source to the second network resource.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein a distance between the selected network resource and the source is determined by calculating a difference between a geocode value associated with the selected network resource and the geocode value associated with the request.

27. The system of claim 22 further comprising a data table that correlates the plurality of network resources with a plurality of geocode values and determining which one of the plurality network resources should be selected based on a priority value assigned to one or more of the plurality of network resources for the geocode value associated with the request, wherein the selected node is associated with a highest priority value with respect to the geocode value associated with the request.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein each of the plurality of network resources is associated with at least one of a plurality of predefined geographic regions and the geocode value associated with the request indicates that a source of the request is located in one of the plurality of predefined geographic regions.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the plurality of geographic regions are defined by areas within a predetermined radius of each of the plurality of network resources.