Proxy server selecting server and proxy server

• US 6,513,061 B1
• Filed: 10/06/1998
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ebata, Tomoichi, Ito, Hiromichi, Saito, Masato, Kamata, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/166,861
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/228, 709/229, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• 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 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In an internet having a server for providing service, a client for receiving the service, plural proxy servers for standing proxy for an access to the server done by the client, and a proxy server selecting server for noticing an IP (Internet Protocol) corresponding to a domain name of the client in response to an inquiry with the domain name added thereon, the proxy sever selecting server receives a request message with the domain name of the server for providing the target service from the client. Then, the proxy server selecting server notifies the client of the IP address of the most approximate server to the client in place of the IP address of the server, based on the physical/logical location information, and if necessary, the periodically obtained load information of the proxy servers. The client recognizes the proxy server of the IP address given thereto as the server for providing the target service and then makes access to the proxy server.

Claims

1. A proxy server selecting server connected to a network having a computer node (referred to as a server) serving as a server for providing service, a computer node (referred to as a client) serving as a client for receiving the service, and plural computer nodes (referred to as proxy servers) serving as proxy servers for relaying an access from said client to said server, said proxy server selecting server comprising:

an address storage unit for storing a domain name and a network address of each of the computer nodes in said network to be managed;

a proxy server information storage unit for storing location information of each of said proxy servers;

a proxy server selecting unit for selecting one of the proxy servers according to a predetermined selecting rule, based on geographic location information of said client and said location information of each of said proxy servers stored in said proxy server information storing unit, when receiving from said client an inquiry request for inquiring a network address of a server corresponding to a domain name of said server, the geographic location information of said client being attached to said inquiry request; and

an address notifying unit for notifying said client of a network address of said proxy server selected by said proxy server selecting unit in place of the network address of said server.

2. The proxy server selecting server as claimed in claim 1, wherein said location information of each of said proxy servers includes physical location information comprising at least one of an area code of a place where a proxy server corresponding to said location information is located and a pair of a latitude and a longitude of said place.

3. The proxy server selecting server as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a load status obtaining unit for periodically obtaining a load status of each of said proxy servers,

wherein said proxy server information storage unit stores as a content for each of said proxy servers not only the location information but also the load status thus obtained by said load status obtaining unit; and

said proxy server selecting unit selects one of said proxy servers based on the geographic location information of said client and the contents of said proxy servers.

4. In a storage medium having recorded a program executable by a proxy server selecting server connected to a network having a computer node (referred to as a server) serving as a server for providing service, a computer node (referred to as a client) serving as a client for receiving said service, and plural computer nodes (referred to as proxy servers) serving as proxy servers for relaying an access from said client to said server connected thereto, said program when executed causes said proxy server selecting server to perform the steps of:

storing in an address storing portion a domain name and a network address of each of the computer nodes in the network to be managed;

storing location information of each of said proxy servers in a memory provided in said proxy server selecting server;

selecting one of the proxy servers according to a predetermined selecting rule, based on geographic location information of said client and the stored content of said memory, when receiving from said client an inquiry request for requesting a network address of a server corresponding to a domain name of said server, the geographic location information of said client being attached to said inquiry request; and

notifying said client of a network address of said proxy server selected by said proxy server selecting portion in place of the network address of said server.

5. A network system, comprising:

a network;

a computer node (referred to as a server) connected to said network and serving as a server for providing service;

a computer node (referred to as a client) connected to said network and serving as a client for receiving the service;

plural computer nodes (referred to as proxy servers) connected to said network and each serving as a proxy server for standing as a proxy for an access to said server by said client; and

a proxy server selecting server that is a computer node (referred to as a proxy server selecting server) connected to said network, having a memory for storing location information of each of said proxy servers, and for selecting a most approximate proxy server to said client by referring to said location information in response to an inquiring request having geographic location information of a client and a logical node name of the server from which said client requires the service, and said proxy server selecting server notifying said client of a network address of said selected proxy server in place of the network address of said server.

6. A network system as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said proxy servers serving as said server for receiving an access request from said client, transmits said access request from said server to said server, serves itself as said client for receiving the response to said access request from said server, and serves itself as said server for transmitting said response to said client.

7. The network system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said location information comprises load information of said proxy server and said proxy server selecting server operates to select the most approximate proxy server to said client based on said location information and said load information of said proxy server.

8. The network system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said network system is an internet, said logical node contains a domain name, and the network address is an IP (Internet Protocol) address.