Method, system, and computer program product to redirect requests from content servers to load distribution servers and to correct bookmarks
First Claim
1. A method of preventing a client from directly contacting a content server that is protected by a load distribution server from an overload of traffic, comprising:
- receiving, at said content server, a request by the client for a file from said content server;
determining, at said content server, whether said request originated as a reference from the load distribution server and determining whether said request originated as a reference from said content server itself;
responsive to determining that said request originated as a reference from a set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, said content server providing the requested file to the client;
determining whether said request received from said content server originated as a reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server; and
responsive to determining that the client'"'"'s request to receive the file from said content server originated as the reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, sending to the client a file requesting that the client contact the load distribution server, such that the client is prevented from directly accessing the file at said content server without first being redirected from the load distribution server.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a system where a central load distribution server at a publicized URL redirects requests for files to a number of content servers holding identical content on the basis of dynamically determined capacity utilization of those servers, clients are prevented from directly accessing one of the content servers without first being redirected from the central load distribution server. In the event that a client attempts to access one of the content servers without first having been redirected there from the load distribution server, the client is redirected to a page containing a notice of the error, then redirected yet again to the load distribution server. For browsers in which bookmark lists may be edited by the user, facilities are provided for correcting the bookmark entry that brought the user to the protected content server rather than to the central load distribution server. In this way, the tendency of users to unintentionally or intentionally circumvent traffic routing algorithms is substantially reduced and the risk of any one content server being overwhelmed with traffic is likewise reduced.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of preventing a client from directly contacting a content server that is protected by a load distribution server from an overload of traffic, comprising:
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receiving, at said content server, a request by the client for a file from said content server; determining, at said content server, whether said request originated as a reference from the load distribution server and determining whether said request originated as a reference from said content server itself; responsive to determining that said request originated as a reference from a set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, said content server providing the requested file to the client; determining whether said request received from said content server originated as a reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server; and responsive to determining that the client'"'"'s request to receive the file from said content server originated as the reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, sending to the client a file requesting that the client contact the load distribution server, such that the client is prevented from directly accessing the file at said content server without first being redirected from the load distribution server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A machine-readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions readable by a machine embodied therein, wherein said plurality of instructions, when processed by said machine, causes said machine to perform a method for preventing a client from directly contacting a content server that is protected by a load distribution server from an overload of traffic, said method comprising:
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receiving, at said content server, a request by the client for a file from said content server; determining, at said content server, whether said request originated as a reference from the load distribution server and determining whether said request originated as a reference from said content server itself; responsive to determining that the request originated as a reference from a set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, said content server providing the requested file to the client; determining whether said request received from said content server originated as a reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server; and responsive to determining that the client'"'"'s request to receive the file from said content server originated as the reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, sending to the client a file requesting that the client contact the load distribution server, such that the client is prevented from directly accessing the file at said content server without first being redirected from the load distribution server. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for preventing a client from directly contacting a content server that is protected by a load distribution server from an overload of traffic, comprising:
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means for receiving, at said content server, a request by the client for a file from said content server; means for determining, at said content server, whether said request originated as a reference from the load distribution server and for determining whether said request originated as a reference from said content server itself; means for, responsive to determining that the request originated as a reference from a set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, for providing the requested file to the client; means for determining whether said request received from said content server originated as a reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server; and means for, responsive to determining that the client'"'"'s request to receive the file from said content server originated as the reference from neither of the set consisting of the load distribution server and said content server, sending to the client a file requesting that the client contact the load distribution server, such that the client is prevented from directly accessing the file at said content server without first being redirected from the load distribution server. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification