Data processing machine network architecture

• US 6,101,616 A
• Filed: 07/02/1997
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Evidan
• Original Assignee: Bull Sas (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Joubert, Philippe, Leconte, Thierry, Rochat, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/887,254
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/10, 714/11, 714/102, 714/104, 714/105, 709/6, 709/201, 709/205, 709/217-221, 709/226
• US Class Current: 714/11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to data processing machine network architecture and more particularly relates to the load balancing of data servers. A data server (3) is constituted by at least two server data processing machines (1, 2) capable of providing the same services. The server data processing machines (1, 2) have the same physical address MAC0 to which the same network protocol address is assigned in order to establish connections of client machines to the server (3), which is considered as a single virtual machine. Each server data processing machine comprises filtering means so that each connection of a client machine (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) to the virtual machine corresponds to a unique connection effective with one and only one server data processing machine (1 or 2). The filtering means of each server data processing machine (1, 2) take into account at least one indicator of the status of each server data processing machine (1, 2) having the same physical address MAC0.

Claims

1. A network architecture for establishing connections of client machines comprising:

a network,

a data server (3) having a first data processing machine (1) and n additional data processing machines (2, 35, 36,

     37), connected to said network, n being a whole number greater than or equal to one, wherein the data server (3) has a work load and comprises at least two data processing machines (1,

     2) of said first and n additional data processing machines (1, 2, 35, 36,

     37) having the same physical address MAC0,

said first data processing machine and n additional data processing machines (1, 2, 35, 36,

     37) including means for balancing the work load of said server (3) among said first and n additional data processing machines (1, 2, 35, 36,

     37) and

said first data processing machine and said n additional data processing machine including means for redirect ing the work load of one of the machines (n+1) to one or more of the machines remaining available when one of said n+1 machines is malfunctioning, and

a network protocol address IPV assigned to said physical address MAC0 so as to establish connections of the client machines with the data server (3) viewed as a single machine.

2. The network architecture according to claim 1 wherein

a network protocol address IPV is assigned to said physical address MAC0 so as to establish connections of client machines with a single virtual machine,

each server data processing machine comprises filtering means operatively connected to said network so that each connection of a client machine (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) with said virtual machine corresponds to a unique connection effective with one and only one server data processing machine (1 or 2), and

said filtering means of each server data processing machine (1, 2) operatively responds to at least one indicator of the status of each server data processing machine (1, 2) having the same physical address MAC0.

3. The network architecture according to claim 2, wherein said filtering means include a connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) dedicated to a single server machine using a deterministic criterion including the value of a network protocol address IPC of each client machine.

4. The network architecture according to claim 2, characterized in that said filtering means includes a connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) dedicated to a single server machine using a deterministic criterion including the value of the ports NPC of the client machines.

5. A process for establishing a t least one connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) of a client machine port (NPC) with an inter-network protocol address (IPC) to a server port (NPS) of a server (3) with an inter-net protocol address(IPV) constituted by at least two data processing machines having the same physical address MAC0, said process comprising:

actuating a connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) with a single data processing machine with the address MAC0 by performing the steps of;

checking (17) in said single data processing machine a status of another data processing machine with the address MAC0,

accepting in said single data processing machine dedicated connections (19) according to a criterion value being determined in said single data processing machine, said criterion value being a function of the status (18) of said an other machine.

6. The establishing at least one connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) according to claim 12 wherein re-initialization packets may be transmitted from a network layer to a physical layer upon detection of information packets which do not correspond to an actuated connection, and the step of actuating a connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) includes:

a transient step occurring at a change of state of a machine with the address (MAC0) in which transmittal of said re-initialization packets is suppressed.

7. A process for establishing at least one connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) according to claim 13 wherein the step of actuating a connection (IPC, NPC, IPV, NPS) further includes:

a transient step in which a predetermined time elapses without sending re-initialization packets;

a steady-state step which follows said transient step upon detection of packets which do not correspond to an actuated connection during said steady-state step, re-initialization packets are transmitted from a network layer to a physical layer.