MIGRATING A CHAT MESSAGE SERVICE PROVIDED BY A CHAT SERVER TO A NEW CHAT SERVER

• US 20130346513A1
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jia, Hongzhong, Liang, Xiaojun, Hua, Li, Bjedov, Goranka
• Granted Patent: US 9,608,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions

Abstract

Migrating a chat messaging service provided for a chat user is disclosed. At a second chat server from a first chat server, static information associated with a chat user is received. The static information is received before the chat user is indicated as being associated with a migration state. At the second chat server from the first chat server, dynamic information associated with the chat user is received. At least a portion of the dynamic information is received after the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state. After the chat user is no longer indicated as being associated with the migration state, a chat message for the chat user is received at the second chat server.

Claims

1. A method of migrating a chat messaging service provided for a chat user, comprising:

receiving at a second chat server from a first chat server, static information associated with a chat user, wherein the static information is received before the chat user is indicated as being associated with a migration state;

receiving at the second chat server from the first chat server, dynamic information associated with the chat user, where at least a portion of the dynamic information is received after the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state; and

receiving at the second chat server a chat message for the chat user after the chat user is no longer indicated as being associated with the migration state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the dynamic information is received before the user is indicated as being associated with the migration state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the dynamic information received after the user is indicated as being associated with the migration state includes an update of a version of the dynamic information received before the user is indicated as being associated with the migration state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the chat user is included in a group of chat users associated with a chat messaging service migration from the first chat server to the second chat server.

5. The method of claim 1, where the first chat server is configured to receive a chat message for the chat user sent before the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request to indicate the chat user as being associated with the migration state in a directory that maps a chat user identifier to an identifier of an associated chat server.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request to associate the chat user with the second chat server in a directory that maps each chat user identifier of a plurality of chat user identifiers to an identifier of an associated chat server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication that a chat messaging service handled by the first chat server for the chat user is to be migrated to the second chat server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request to the first chat server to transfer information associated with the chat user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein while the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state, a new chat message received subsequent to the chat user being flagged is held until the chat user is no longer flagged as being associated with the migration state.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the static information is received while the first chat server is preparing to suspend a chat messaging service of the first chat server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second chat server has been selected to handle a chat messaging service for the chat user at least in part by analyzing a performance metric associated with the second chat server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from a chat migration controller an indication to initiate a migration process associated with the chat user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein while the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state, the first chat server is suspended from modifying the dynamic information.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the static information and the dynamic information before the chat user is no longer indicated as being associated with the migration state.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server frees a resource associated with the chat user after the chat user is no longer associated with the migration state.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the static information includes an identifier associated with the chat user.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic information includes a content of a previously received chat message for the chat user.

19. A system for migrating a chat messaging service provided for a chat user, comprising:

a communication interface configured to establish a communication with a first chat server; and

a processor coupled with the communication interface and configured to;

receive from the first chat server, static information associated with a chat user, wherein the static information is received before the chat user is indicated as being associated with a migration state;

receive from a first chat server, dynamic information associated with the chat user, where at least a portion of the dynamic information is received after the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state; and

receive a chat message for the chat user after the chat user is no longer indicated as being associated with the migration state.

20. A computer program product for migrating a chat messaging service provided for a chat user, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving at a second chat server from a first chat server, static information associated with a chat user, wherein the static information is received before the chat user is indicated as being associated with a migration state;

receiving at the second chat server from the first chat server, dynamic information associated with the chat user, where at least a portion of the dynamic information is received after the chat user is indicated as being associated with the migration state; and

receiving at the second chat server a chat message for the chat user after the chat user is no longer indicated as being associated with the migration state.