METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING A NETWORK BY INDEPENDENTLY SCALING CONTROL SEGMENTS AND DATA FLOW

• US 20150052252A1
• Filed: 06/20/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: GILDE, Robert George, HARMS, Steven Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,647,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• 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 67/1014 based on the content of a request

Abstract

A server array controller that includes a Data Flow Segment (DFS) and at least one Control Segment (CS). The DFS includes the hardware-optimized portion of the controller, while the CS includes the software-optimized portions. The DFS performs most of the repetitive chores including statistics gathering and per-packet policy enforcement (e.g. packet switching). The DFS also performs tasks such as that of a router, a switch, or a routing switch. The CS determines the translation to be performed on each flow of packets, and thus performs high-level control functions and per-flow policy enforcement. Network address translation (NAT) is performed by the combined operation of the CS and DFS. The CS and DFS may be incorporated into one or more separate blocks. The CS and DFS are independently scalable. Additionally, the functionality of either the DFS or the CS may be separately implemented in software and/or hardware.

Claims

1. (canceled)

6. The network traffic management computing device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the one server is selected based on one or more load balancing factors comprising one or more of most active flow, least active flow, time flow opened, or most recent activity.

2. A network traffic management computing device, comprising:

at least one of a processor coupled to memory and configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising or hardware logic configured to be capable of implementing;

directing an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet, received from a client requesting a resource, to the requested resource, when the IP data packet is associated with an existing connection to the requested resource;

requesting and receiving instructions for directing the IP data packet to the requested resource, and directing the IP data packet based on the instructions, when the IP data packet is not associated with an existing connection to the requested resource; and

receiving the request for instructions for directing the IP data packet, selecting one of a plurality of servers hosting the requested resource, generating the instructions for directing the IP data packet to the selected server, and providing the instructions in response to the received request.

3. The network traffic management computing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the receiving instructions for directing the IP data packet further comprises updating a flow table based on the received instructions to include a network address for the requested resource and the directing the IP data packet based on the instructions further comprise sending the IP data packet based on a network address of the requested resource stored in the flow table.

4. The network traffic management computing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the at least one of the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising or the hardware logic is further configured to be capable of implementing:

receiving a plurality of IP data packets; and

categorizing groups of one or more of the plurality of IP data packets into one or more data flows based on a flow signature.

5. The network traffic management computing device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the at least one of the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising or the hardware logic is further configured to be capable of implementing:

determining whether one of the one or more data flows is active based at least in part on information stored in a flow table; and

terminating the one data flow when the one data flow is determined not to be active.

7. The network traffic management computing device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the at least one of the processor is further configured to be capable of executing programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising or the hardware logic is further configured to be capable of implementing performing control and policy enforcement actions for each data flow and the hardware logic is further configured to be capable of implementing collecting information regarding each flow including metrics and statistics.

8. The network traffic management computing device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the instructions comprise at least a destination IP address of the selected server.

9. A method for directing communications over a network, the method comprising:

directing, by a network traffic management computing device, an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet, received from a client requesting a resource, to the requested resource, when the IP data packet is associated with an existing connection to the requested resource; and

requesting and receiving, by the network traffic management computing device, instructions for directing the IP data packet to the requested resource, and directing the IP data packet based on the instructions, when the IP data packet is not associated with an existing connection to the requested resource;

receiving, by the network traffic management computing device, the request for instructions for directing the IP data packet, selecting one of a plurality of servers hosting the requested resource, generating the instructions for directing the IP data packet to the selected server, and providing the instructions in response to the received request.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the receiving instructions for directing the IP data packet further comprises updating a flow table based on the received instructions to include a network address for the requested resource and the directing the IP data packet based on the instructions further comprise sending the IP data packet based on a network address of the requested resource stored in the flow table.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the network traffic management computing device, a plurality of IP data packets; and

categorizing, by the network traffic management computing device, groups of one or more of the plurality of IP data packets into one or more data flows based on a flow signature.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the network traffic management computing device, whether one of the one or more data flows is active based at least in part on information stored in a flow table; and

terminating, by the network traffic management computing device, the one data flow when the one data flow is determined not to be active.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the one server is selected based on one or more load balancing factors comprising one or more of most active flow, least active flow, time flow opened, or most recent activity.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

performing, by the network traffic management computing device, control and policy enforcement actions for each data flow; and

collecting, by the network traffic management computing device, information regarding each flow including metrics and statistics.

15. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the instructions comprise at least a destination IP address of the selected server.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for directing communications over a network comprising machine executable code which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving a request for instructions for directing an Internet Protocol (IP) data packet received from a client requesting a resource, wherein the IP data packet is not associated with an existing connection to the requested resource;

selecting in response to receiving the request for instructions for directing the IP data packet one of a plurality of servers hosting the requested resource;

generating instructions for directing the IP data packet to the selected server; and

providing the instructions to direct the IP data packet to the selected server based on the instructions.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein the one server is selected based on one or more load balancing factors comprising one or more of most active flow, least active flow, time flow opened, or most recent activity.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 16, further having stored thereon instructions comprising machine executable code which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform steps further comprising performing control and policy enforcement actions for each of a plurality of data flows.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 16, wherein the instructions comprise at least a destination IP address of the selected server.