SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PORT ALLOCATION

• US 20150124828A1
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: CJ, Janraj, Rangaraman, Vivekanand, Kurma, Jyotheeshswara Rao
• Granted Patent: US 10,044,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present disclosure relate to allocating ports for packets distributed via a computer network. A packet engine on a core of a multicore device intermediary between a client and a server receives a first packet from the client. The first packet includes an outer header of an encapsulation protocol encapsulating a payload with an inner header. The first packet is directed by a packet distributor of the device to the first core selected based on a first tuple of the outer header. A port allocator of the packet engine determines a source port number to cause the packet distributor to identify the first core based on a second tuple of the inner header. The packet engine modifies the inner header of the payload to include the determined source port number. The device forwards the first packet including the modified inner header to the server.

Claims

1. A method of allocating ports for packets distributed via a computer network comprising:

receiving, by a packet engine configured on a first core of a plurality of cores of a device intermediary between a client and a server, a first packet from the client comprising an outer header of an encapsulation protocol encapsulating a payload with an inner header, the first packet directed by a packet distributor of the device to the first core selected based on a first tuple of the outer header;

determining, by a port allocator configured on the packet engine, a source port number from a plurality of source port numbers to cause the packet distributor to identify the first core based on a second tuple of the inner header;

modifying, by the packet engine, the inner header of the payload to include the determined source port number; and

forwarding, by the device, the first packet to the server, the first packet comprising the modified inner header.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the device, a second packet from the server having a second outer header with a same tuple as the modified inner header of the first packet;

directing, by the packet distributor of the device, the second packet to the packet engine based on the same tuple.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the device, a second packet from the server having a second outer header with a same tuple as the modified inner header of the first packet;

directing, by the packet distributor of the device, the second packet to the packet engine based on the same tuple; and

determining, by the packet engine configured on the first core, that the packet engine is an owner of the second packet based on a third tuple of the second inner header.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first packet is encapsulated using a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network encapsulation protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the packet distributor, to direct the first packet to the first core based on the first tuple, the first tuple comprising a source internet protocol address, a destination internet protocol address, a destination port number, and a protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, from a database of the device, a mapping of tuples to source port numbers; and

determining, by the port allocator, the source port number from the plurality of source port numbers based on the mapping.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the packet engine, responsive to receiving the first packet from the client, a connection with the server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

de-encapsulating, by the packet engine, the first packet received from the client to identify the second tuple of the inner header.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the port allocator, the source port number based on a hash table used by the packet distributor to distribute packets.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the packet engine, a distributed hash table to determine the source port number.

11. A system for port allocation of packets distributed via a computer network comprising:

a packet engine on a first core of a plurality of cores of a device intermediary between a client and a server, the packet engine configured to receive a first packet from the client comprising an outer header of an encapsulation protocol encapsulating a payload with an inner header, the first packet directed by a packet distributor of the device to the first core selected based on a first tuple of the outer header;

a port allocator on the packet engine configured to determine a source port number from a plurality of source port numbers to cause the packet distributor to identify the first core based on a second tuple of the inner header;

the packet engine configured to modify the inner header of the payload to include the determined source port number; and

the device configured to forward the first packet to the server, the first packet comprising the modified inner header.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

receive a second packet from the server having a second outer header with a same tuple as the first packet;

direct the second packet to the packet engine based on the same tuple.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

receive a second packet from the server having a second outer header with a same tuple as the first packet;

direct the second packet to the packet engine based on the same tuple; and

determine that the packet engine is an owner of the second packet based on a third tuple of the second inner header.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first packet is encapsulated using a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network encapsulation protocol.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

determine to direct the first packet to the first core based on the first tuple, the first tuple comprising a source internet protocol address, a destination internet protocol address, a destination port number, the source port number and a protocol.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

retrieve, from a database, a mapping of tuples to source port numbers; and

determine the source port number from the plurality of source port numbers based on the mapping.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

establish responsive to receiving the first packet from the client, a connection with the server.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

de-encapsulate the first packet received from the client to identify the second tuple of the inner header.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

determine the source port number based on a hash table used by the packet distributor to distribute packets.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the device is further configured to:

access a distributed hash table to determine the source port number.