Statistical tracking for global server load balancing

• US 20100223621A1
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Foundry Networks Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Joshi, Prajakta Suresh, Kommula, Sunanda Lakshmi
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• 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 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs

Abstract

Server load-balancing operation-related data, such as data associated with a system configured for global server load balancing (GSLB) that orders IP addresses into a list based on a set of performance metrics, is tracked. Such operation-related data includes inbound source IP addresses (e.g., the address of the originator of a DNS request), the requested host and zone, identification of the selected “best” IP addresses resulting from application of a GSLB algorithm and the selection metric used to decide on an IP address as the “best” one. Furthermore, the data includes a count of the selected “best” IP addresses selected via application of the GSLB algorithm, and for each of these IP addresses, the list of deciding performance metrics, along with a count of the number of times each of these metrics in the list was used as a deciding factor in selection of this IP address as the best one. This tracking feature allows better understanding of GSLB policy decisions (such as those associated with performance, maintenance, and troubleshooting) and intelligent deployment of large-scale resilient GSLB networks.

Claims

1. A computerized method usable in a system configured for load balancing, the method comprising:

arranging network addresses into an ordered list based on a set of performance metrics in response to a query; and

respectively incrementing a counter each time a particular performance metric of the set is used as a deciding factor to determine a best network address among the ordered list of network addresses.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising determining the best network address from a plurality of possible network addresses in response to a query.

3. The computerized method of claim 2, further comprising for a plurality of additional said queries, counting a number of times that a particular network address is selected as the best network address.

4. The computerized method of claim 2, further comprising:

recording, from a reply to the query, an address of a source of the query; and

recording, from the reply to the query, a requested host and zone.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 wherein arranging the network addresses into the ordered list includes arranging virtual network addresses into the ordered list.

6. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for load balancing amongst host servers, comprising instructions to:

arrange virtual network addresses each associated with at least one of the host servers into an ordered list based on a set of performance metrics; and

count a number of times that respective ones of the performance metrics are decisive in selecting one of the network addresses as an optimum network address.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, further including instructions stored thereon to:

responsive to a query, determine the optimum network address from a plurality of possible network addresses and using the set of performance metrics; and

responsive to the query, provide the ordered list having the optimum network address identified therein.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, further including instructions stored thereon to:

for a plurality of additional said queries, count a number of times that a particular network address is selected as optimum best network address.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, further including instructions stored thereon to:

obtain, from a reply to the query, an address of a source of the query.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 7, further including instructions stored thereon to:

obtain, from the reply to the query, a requested host and zone.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, further including instructions stored thereon to:

selectively enable or disable, for each of the respective ones of the performance metrics, counting of the number of times that the respective ones of the performance metrics are decisive in selecting one of the network addresses as the optimum network address.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, further including instructions stored thereon to:

communicate counts of the number of times that respective ones of the performance metrics are decisive in selecting one of the network addresses as the optimum network address to an external device.

13. An apparatus for arranging network addresses responsive to a query, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the query;

means for receiving performance metrics associated with the network addresses; and

means for counting a number of times that respective ones of the performance metrics are decisive in selecting one of the network addresses as an optimum network address.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for determining the optimum network address from a plurality of possible network addresses in response to the query;

means for arranging the optimum network address and other ones of the possible network addresses into an ordered list; and

means for sending the ordered list as a reply to the query.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for counting, for a plurality of additional said queries, a number of times that a particular network address is selected as the optimum network address.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for obtaining and recording an address of a source of the query.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for obtaining and recording a requested host and zone.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for selectively enabling or disabling, for each of the respective ones of the performance metrics, counting of the number of times that the respective ones of the performance metrics are decisive in selecting one of the network addresses as the optimum network address.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for communicating, to an external device, counts of the number of times that respective ones of the performance metrics are decisive in selecting one of the network addresses as the optimum network address.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the network addresses include virtual addresses.