Availability and consistent service semantics in a load balanced collection of services running different instances of an application

• US 7,237,239 B1
• Filed: 08/26/2002
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goel, Atul, Eastham, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, QING YUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/229,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 718/105, 717120-122, 717/168, 717/170, 717/174, 707/203, 715/511
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44536 Selecting among different versions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for providing consistent services semantics for multiple services running different instances of an application comprises maintaining, at a network node, data identifying current application versions associated with the multiple services, and selecting, at the network node, a new preferred application version based on the data identifying current application versions upon detecting a predefined event pertaining to the multiple services. The method further comprises identifying, at the network node, services that run the new preferred application version, and balancing the distribution of requests between the services that run the new preferred application version until detecting a next predefined event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, at a network node, data identifying current application versions associated with a plurality of services running a plurality of instances of an application, each of the plurality of services being accessible to the network node via a network;

selecting, at the network node, a new preferred application version based on the data identifying current application versions upon detecting a change of at least one of the plurality of services;

identifying, at the network node, one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version; and

balancing a distribution of requests between the one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version until detecting a next change of at least one of the plurality of services.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving data identifying a current application version of each of the plurality of services.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data identifying current application versions includes a list of current application versions.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

including a current application version of said each of the plurality of services into the list of current application versions; and

determining that said each of the plurality of services is in an active state.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining that said each of the plurality of services is in the active state comprises:

sending a network packet to said each of the plurality of services; and

receiving a response from said each of the plurality of services.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein selecting the new preferred application version further comprises:

assigning one or more votes to each of the plurality of services that runs an application version from the list of current application versions and is currently in an active state;

determining, for each application version within the list of current application versions, a total number of votes assigned to services associated with said each application version; and

searching for a winning application version with a maximum number of corresponding votes.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

finding the winning application version; and

considering the winning application version to be the new preferred application version.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

finding two or more winning application versions;

determining whether an existing preferred application version is among the two or more winning application versions; and

considering the existing preferred application version to be the new preferred application version if the existing preferred application version is among the two or more winning application versions.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining that the existing preferred application version is not among the two or more winning application versions; and

considering any one of the two or more winning application versions to be the new preferred application version.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the change comprises a change of an application version run by one of the plurality of services.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the application version changes in response to at least one of the actions comprising an upgrade of said one of the plurality of services, a downgrade of said one of the plurality of services, and a configuration change affecting an operation of said one of the plurality of services.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the change comprises a transition between an inactive state and an active state of one of the plurality of services.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the application is any one of a language translation application, a format translation application, a content filtering application, an advertisement insertion application, a content adaptation application, and a virus check application; and

the distributed requests are requests for content transformation.

14. A method of operating a load balancing node on a network, the method comprising:

maintaining a current list of application versions associated with a plurality of services running a plurality of instances of a content adaptation application, each application version within the current list of application versions being run by at least one of the plurality of services;

maintaining a set of participating services selected from the plurality of services, each service within the set of participating services running a preferred application version from the current list of application versions and being in an active state, the preferred application version being associated with a maximum number of votes;

balancing a distribution of content adaptation requests between the set of participating services; and

periodically updating the set of participating services to adjust to at least one of a number of events including a change of an application version run by any of the plurality of services and a change in a current state of any of the plurality of services.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving data identifying a current application version of each of the plurality of services.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining that said each service within the set of participating services is presently in the active state upon sending a network packet to said each service within the set of participating services and receiving a response from said each service within the set of participating services.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein periodically updating the set of participating services further comprises:

selecting a new preferred application version from the current list of applications versions; and

identifying one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version and are presently in the active state.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein selecting a new preferred application version comprises:

calculating, for each application version within the current list of application versions, a total number of votes assigned to one or more services that run said each application version; and

finding a winning application version with a maximum number of votes.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

finding two or more winning application versions;

determining whether an existing preferred application version is among the two or more winning application versions; and

considering the existing preferred application version to be the new preferred application version if the existing preferred application version is among the two or more winning application versions.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining that the existing preferred application version is not among the two or more winning application versions; and

selecting any one of the two or more winning application versions to be the new preferred application version.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the content adaptation application is any one of a language translation application, a format translation application, a content filtering application, an advertisement insertion application, a content adaptation application, and a virus check application.

22. The method of claim 14 wherein the load balancing node is coupled to a caching device.

23. A device to operate as a node on a network, the device comprising:

an event detector to receive information from a plurality of services running a plurality of instances of an application and to detect a change of at least one of the plurality of services;

a version monitor to maintain data identifying current application versions associated with the plurality of services using the information;

a version selection algorithm to select a new preferred application version based on the data identifying current application versions upon detecting the change of at least one of the plurality of services by the event detector;

a service list controller to identify one of more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version; and

a request distributor to balance a distribution of requests between the one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the data identifying current application versions includes a list of current application versions.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein the version monitor is to include a current application version of said each of the plurality of services into the list of current application versions, and to determine that said each of the plurality of services is in an active state.

26. The device of claim 24 wherein the version selection algorithm is to select the new preferred application version by assigning one or more votes to each of the plurality of services that runs an application version from the list of current application versions and is currently in an active state, determining, for each application version within the list of current application versions, a total number of votes assigned to services associated with said each application version, and searching for a winning application version with a maximum number of corresponding votes.

27. The device of claim 23 wherein the event detector is to detect the change by detecting that an application version run by one of the plurality of services has changed.

28. The device of claim 23 wherein the event detector is to detect the change by detecting that one of the plurality of services has transitioned between an inactive state and an active state.

29. A device to operate as an intermediary node on a network, the device comprising:

a processor;

a network interface to allow the device to communicate on the network; and

a storage facility to store program code for execution by the processor to cause the device to

maintain data identifying current application versions associated with a plurality of services running a plurality of instances of an application, each of the plurality of services being accessible to the device via a network,

select a new preferred application version based on the data identifying current application versions upon detecting a change of at least one of the plurality of services,

identify one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version, and

balance a distribution of requests between the one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application until detecting a next change of at least one of the plurality of services.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein the program code is further to cause the device to receive data identifying a current application version of each of the plurality of services.

31. The device of claim 29 wherein the data identifying current application versions includes a list of current application versions.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein the program code is to cause the device to select the new preferred application version by assigning one or more votes to each of the plurality of services that runs an application version from the list of current application versions and is currently in an active state, determining, for each application version within the list of current application versions, a total number of votes assigned to services associated with said each application version, and searching for a winning application version with a maximum number of corresponding votes.

33. The device of claim 29 wherein:

the application is any one of a language translation application, a format translation application, a content filtering application, an advertisement insertion application, a content adaptation application, and a virus check application; and

the distributed requests are requests for content transformation.

34. A device to operate as a load balancing node on a network, the device comprising:

a version monitor to receive data from a plurality of services running a plurality of instances of a content adaptation application and to maintain a current list of application versions associated with the plurality of services, each application version within the current list of application versions being run by at least one of the plurality of services;

a service list controller to maintain a set of participating services selected from the plurality of services, each service within the set of participating services running a preferred application version from the current list of application versions and being in an active state, the preferred application version being associated with a maximum number of votes;

a request distributor to balance a distribution of content adaptation requests between the set of participating services; and

an event detector to detect at least one of a number of events including a change of an application version run by any of the plurality of services and a change in a current state of any of the plurality of services, and to trigger an update of the set of participating services in accordance with the detected event.

35. The device of claim 34 further comprising:

a version selection algorithm to select a new preferred application version from the current list of applications versions, the service list controller identifying one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version and are presently in the active state to update the set of participating services.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein the version selection algorithm is to select a new preferred application version by calculating, for each application version within the current list of application versions, a total number of votes assigned to one or more services that run said each application version, and finding a winning application version with a maximum number of votes.

37. The device of claim 34 wherein the content adaptation application is any one of a language translation application, a format translation application, a content filtering application, an advertisement insertion application, a content adaptation application, and a virus check application.

38. The device of claim 34 wherein the load balancing node is coupled to a caching device.

39. A device to operate as a load balancing node on a network, the device comprising:

a processor;

a network interface to allow the device to communicate on the network; and

a storage facility to store program code for execution by the processor to cause the device to

maintain a current list of application versions associated with a plurality of services running a plurality of versions of a content adaptation application, each application version within the current list of application versions being run by at least one of the plurality of services;

maintain a set of participating services selected from the plurality of services, each service within the set of participating services running a preferred application version from the current list of application versions and being in an active state, the preferred application version being associated with a maximum number of votes;

balance a distribution of content adaptation requests between the set of participating services; and

periodically update the set of participating services to adjust to at least one of a number of events including a change of an application version run by any of the plurality of services and a change in a current state of any of the plurality of services.

40. The device of claim 39 wherein periodically updating the set of participating services further comprises:

selecting a new preferred application version from the current list of applications versions; and

identifying one or more of the plurality of services that run the new preferred application version and are presently in the active state.

41. The device of claim 40 wherein selecting a new preferred application version comprises:

calculating, for each application version within the current list of application versions, a total number of votes assigned to one or more services that run said each application version; and

finding a winning application version with a maximum number of votes.

42. The device of claim 39 wherein the load balancing node is coupled to a caching device.