METHOD, SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING A PLURALITY OF CLIENT MACHINES TO A PLURALITY OF SERVERS

• US 20100217793A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: PREISS, Bruno R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs

Abstract

According to embodiments described in the specification, a method, system and apparatus for connecting a plurality of client machines to a plurality of servers. Each of the servers has a unique server identifier. The method includes: receiving a request from one of the client machines; receiving a unique client identifier for the one of the client machines; selecting a unique server identifier from the plurality of unique server identifiers, based on a mapping function comprised of: the unique client identifier and a state indicator for each of the servers; and connecting the one of the client machines to one of the servers corresponding to the selected unique server identifier.

Claims

1. A method for connecting a plurality of client machines to a plurality of servers;

each of said servers having a unique server identifier, the method comprising;

receiving a request from one of said client machines;

receiving a unique client identifier for said one of said client machines;

selecting a unique server identifier from said plurality of unique server identifiers, based on a mapping function comprised of;

said unique client identifier for said one of said client machines; and

a state indicator for each of said servers; and

connecting said one of said client machines to one of said servers corresponding to said selected unique server identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said state indicator for each of said servers is a one if active, and a zero if inactive.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

maintaining a bit vector ‘

B’

containing said state indicators, according to B=b<sub>N−

1</sub>b<sub>N−

2</sub> . . . b₂b₁b₀, where b_i is a state indicator for an ith server of said plurality of servers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a hashed unique client identifier, wherein said hashed unique client identifier is a hash comprised of at least said unique client identifier, and wherein selecting said unique server identifier is based on a mapping function further comprised of said hashed unique client identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting said unique server identifier is based on a mapping function further comprised of:

a least-common-multiple of the first N integers, where N is a count of said plurality of servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting said one of said client machines to said one of said servers corresponding to said selected unique server identifier comprises:

forwarding said request to said one of said servers corresponding to said selected unique server identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said unique client identifier comprises at least one of an IP address of said client machine and a MAC address of said client machine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said hashed unique client identifier further comprises at least one of an additional IP address and an additional MAC address.

9. A server for connecting a plurality of client machines to a plurality of servers;

each of said servers having a unique server identifier, the server comprising;

a network interface;

a memory; and

a processor interconnected with said network interface and said memory, said processor configured to receive a request from one of said client machines via said network interface;

to store said request in said memory;

to receive a unique client identifier for said one of said client machines;

to select a unique server identifier from said plurality of unique server identifiers, based on a mapping function comprised of;

said unique client identifier for said one of said client machines; and

a state indicator for each of said servers;

said processor further configured to connect said one of said client machines to one of said servers corresponding to said selected unique server identifier.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein said state indicator for each of said servers is a one if active, and a zero if inactive.

11. The server of claim 10, said processor being further configured to maintain in said memory a bit vector ‘

B’

containing said state indicators, according to B=b<sub>N−

1</sub>b<sub>N−

2</sub> . . . b₂b₁b₀, where where b_i is a state indicator for an ith server of said plurality of servers.

12. The server of claim 9, said processor being further configured to generate a hashed unique client identifier, wherein said hashed unique client identifier is a hash comprised of at least said unique client identifier;

said processor being further configured to select said unique server identifier based on a mapping function further comprised of said hashed unique client identifier.

13. The server of claim 9, said processor being further configured to select said unique server identifier based on a mapping function further comprised of a least-common-multiple of the first N integers, where N is a count of said plurality of servers.

14. The server of claim 9, said processor being further configured to connect said one of said client machines to said one of said servers by forwarding said request via said network interface to said one of said servers corresponding to said selected unique server identifier.

15. A computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions executable by a processor for implementing a method for connecting a plurality of client machines to a plurality of servers;

each of said servers having a unique server identifier, the method comprising;

receiving a request from one of said client machines;

receiving a unique client identifier for said one of said client machines;

selecting a unique server identifier from said plurality of unique server identifiers, based on a mapping function comprised of;

said unique client identifier for said one of said client machines; and

a state indicator for each of said servers; and

connecting said one of said client machines to one of said servers corresponding to said selected unique server identifier.