SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING COMPONENTS OF A REMOTE ACCESS SERVER FARM

• US 20120005334A1
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Kamath, Sandeep, RAJA, MURALI
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

The present application is related methods to monitor a state of one or more components of a remote access server farm by an intermediary to distinguish between operating and functional components and improve farm availability for user application requests. The intermediary may be deployed between a client and the remote access server farm and forwards client requests to functional components of the remote access server farm.

Claims

1. A method to load balance a plurality of interfaces to a remote access server farm, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring, by a device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a remote access server farm, a plurality of interface services providing identification of applications available via the remote access server farm;

(b) determining, by the device from monitoring the plurality of interface servers, that a first interface service is executing and functional and a second interface service is executing but not functional; and

(c) excluding, by the device responsive to the determination, the second interface service from a load balancing rotation of the plurality of interface services that includes the first interface service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises communicating by the device to each of the plurality of interface services, a request for an application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving by the device from the first interface service a response that identifies a server in the remote server farm available to provide the application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving by the device from the second interface service a response that does not identify a server in the remote server farm available to provide the application.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving by the device from the first interface service a response that identifies the application is available.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving by the device from the second interface service a response that identifies the application is not available

7. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving by the device from the first interface service a response that includes a predetermined tag and corresponding value.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving by the device from the second interface service a response that that is missing a predetermined tag and corresponding value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises indentifying, by the device responsive to the determination, the first interface service as up.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises indentifying, by the device responsive to the determination, the second interface service as down.

11. A method for load balancing a plurality of web interfaces to a remote server access farm, the method comprising:

(a) monitoring, by a device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a remote access server farm, a plurality of web interfaces providing a browser based access to the remote access server farm;

(b) determining, by the device from monitoring the plurality of web interfaces servers, that a first web interface is executing and functional and a second web interface is executing but not functional; and

(c) excluding, by the device responsive to the determination, the second web interface from a load balancing rotation of the plurality of web interface that includes the first web interface

12. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprising communicating, by the device, to each of the plurality of web services a request for a predetermined web page.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the device, a response to the request from the first web interface service that identifies a setting of a cookie.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the device, a response to the request from the second web interface service not identifying a setting of a cookie.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the device, a response to the request from the first web interface service that identifies a predetermined response code.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the device, a response to the request from the second web interface service that does not identify a predetermined response code.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprising communicating, by the device, to each of the plurality of web services a request for a login page.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprising communicating, by the device, to each of the plurality of web services a request for a landing page.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein step (c) further comprises indentifying, by the device responsive to the determination, the first web interface as up.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein step (c) further comprises indentifying, by the device responsive to the determination, the second web interface as down.