Mapping web server objects to TCP/IP ports

• US 6,360,262 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Guenthner, Timothy John, Schmitt, Charles Rudolph, Lawlor, Francis D., Lin, Dah-Haur
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US08/977,636
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/105, 709/104, 709/226, 709/223, 709/238, 709/203, 709/219, 709/224, 709/246, 709/245, 709/250, 370/389, 370/401
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• 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 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of routing in a computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects. The set of server resource objects are distributed in a non-homogeneous manner across the server pool. According to the method, each incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object is targeted to a router having an associated port space identifying a plurality of ports. Based on the port on which an incoming client request is received, the request is mapped to one of the server resource objects. The router then selects the “best provider” and redirects or forwards the request to that server. The routing and redirection is based upon the port for the incoming request.

Claims

1. A method of routing in a computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object at a router having an associated port space identifying a plurality of ports, wherein each incoming client request is issued from a client machine having a Web browser, and wherein incoming client requests are targeted to the router by priming a Web page to be displayed on the Web browser to include at least one anchor which references the router, a port number in the port space, and a given server resource object; and

based solely on the port on which an incoming client request is received, mapping the incoming client request to one of the server resource objects.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further including the step of selecting a given server from the pool of servers that is capable of serving the server resource object according to some given criteria.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further including the step of forwarding the request to the given server.

4. The method as described in claim 2 further including the step of returning a redirection response to a client machine that initiated the incoming client request, the redirection response specifying the given server.

5. The method as described in claim 4 further including the step of redirecting the redirection response to the given server.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the mapping step uses a mapping table having a plurality of rows, each row including a port number, a server resource object, and a list of servers which are capable of serving the server resource object.

7. The method as described in claim 6 further including the step of marking a port number as inactive if an associated server resource object is unavailable.

8. The method as described in claim 6 further including the step of reclaiming a port number in the mapping table and associating the reclaimed port number with another server resource object.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the router processes incoming client requests using a proxy/gateway mode, a handoff mode, and a redirection mode.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the incoming client request is a redirectable request or a non-redirectable request.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

routing the incoming client request without decrypting contents of the incoming client request.

12. A method of routing in a computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects, wherein the set of server resource objects are distributed in a non-homogeneous manner across the server pool, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving each incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object at a router having an associated port space identifying a plurality of ports, wherein the router processes incoming client requests using a proxy/gateway mode, a handoff mode, and a redirection mode;

based solely on the port on which a client request is received, mapping the client request to one of the server resource objects;

selecting a given server from a subset of servers in the pool of servers, wherein each server in the subset of servers is capable of serving the server resource object; and

forwarding the client request to the given server.

13. The method as described in claim 12 wherein the given server is selected according to a given criteria.

14. The method as described in claim 12 wherein the mapping step uses a mapping table having a plurality of rows, each row including a port number, a server resource object, and a list of servers which are capable of serving the server resource object.

15. The method as described in claim 14 wherein the port number is a TCP/IP port.

16. The method as described in claim 15 wherein the incoming client request is communicated via an IP protocol.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining whether the client request is a redirectable request or a non-redirectable request.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

routing the client request without decrypting contents of the client request.

19. A method of routing in a computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects, wherein the set of server resource objects are distributed in a non-homogeneous manner across the server pool, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving each incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object at a router having an associated port space identifying a plurality of ports;

based solely on the port on which a client request is received, mapping the client request to one of the server resource objects;

selecting a given server from a subset of servers in the pool of servers, wherein each server in the subset of servers is capable of serving the server resource object; and

returning a redirection response to a client machine that initiated the client request, the redirection response specifying the given server.

20. The method as described in claim 19 further including the step of redirecting the redirection response to the given server.

21. The method as described in claim 19 wherein the given server is selected according to a given criteria.

22. The method as described in claim 19 wherein the mapping step uses a mapping table having a plurality of rows, each row including a port number, a server resource object, and a list of servers which are capable of serving the server resource object.

23. The method as described in claim 22 wherein the port number is a TCP/IP port.

24. The method as described in claim 23 wherein the incoming client request is communicated via an HTTP protocol.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the router processes incoming client requests using a proxy/gateway mode, a handoff mode, and redirection mode.

26. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining whether the client request is a redirectable request or a non-redirectable request.

27. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

routing the client request without decrypting contents of the client request.

28. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for controlling routing of client requests in a computer network, the computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects, the computer program product comprising:

means for maintaining a mapping table having a plurality of rows, each row including the port number, a server resource object, and a list of servers which are capable of serving the server resource object;

means responsive to an incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object for mapping the request, based solely on the port on which the incoming client request is received, to one of the server resource objects using the mapping table in a router; and

means for returning a redirection response to a client machine that initiated the incoming client request, the redirection response specifying the given server.

29. The computer program product as described in claim 28 further including means for selecting a given server from the pool of servers that is capable of serving the server resource object according to some given criteria.

30. The computer program product as described in claim 29 further including means for forwarding the request to the given server.

31. The computer program product of claim 28 further comprising:

means for processing incoming client requests using a proxy/gateway mode, a handoff mode, and a redirection mode.

32. The computer program product of claim 28 further comprising:

means for determining whether the client request is a redirectable request or a non-redirectable request.

33. The computer program product of claim 28 further comprising:

means for routing the client request without decrypting contents of the client request.

34. A computer, comprising:

a processor;

an operating system;

a router for controlling routing of client requests in a computer network, the computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects, comprising;

means for maintaining a mapping table having a plurality of rows, each row including a port number, a server resource object, and a list of servers which are capable of serving the server resource object;

means responsive to an incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object for mapping the request, based solely on the port on which the incoming client request is received, to one of the server resource objects using the mapping table; and

means for returning a redirection response to a client machine that initiated the incoming client request, the redirection response specifying the given server.

35. The computer as described in claim 34 wherein the router further includes means for selecting a given server from the pool of servers that is capable of serving the server resource object according to some given criteria.

36. The computer as described in claim 35 wherein the router further includes means for forwarding the request to the given server.

37. The computer of claim 34 wherein the router further comprises:

means for processing incoming client requests using a proxy/gateway mode, a handoff mode, and a redirection mode.

38. The computer of claim 34 further comprising:

means for determining whether the client request is a redirectable request or a non-redirectable request.

39. The computer of claim 34 further comprising:

means for routing the client request without decrypting contents of the client request.

40. A method of routing in a computer network having a requesting Web client connectable through a router to a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects, the method comprising the steps of:

in response to activation of an anchor in a Web page of the form <

servername>

;

<

port number>

, where <

servername>

is an IP address for the router and <

port number>

is a TCP/IP port number in a port space at the router, receiving a client request at the router;

mapping the port number to one of the server resource objects based solely on the port on which the client request is received;

selecting a best server from a subset of servers in the pool of servers, wherein each server in the subset of servers is capable of providing the server resource object identified by the mapping step; and

returning a redirection response to the requesting Web client with the best server returned in a location field of an HTTP header for the redirection response.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the router processes incoming client requests using a proxy/gateway mode, a handoff mode, and a redirection mode.

42. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

determining whether the client request is a redirectable request or a non-redirectable request.

43. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

routing the client request without decrypting contents of the client request.