Apparatus and method for re-directing a client session

• US 7,260,644 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: O'Rourke, Chris, Tiwari, Pranav K., Shah, Gaurang K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osman; Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US09/965,592
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709223-226, 709/229, 709/203, 709/238, 709/227, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

A load balancer in a wireless access protocol network receives a request from a client terminal. The load balancer selects one of a plurality of gateways to process the request. The load balancer sends a re-direct message to the client terminal that includes information identifying the selected gateway. The client terminal then sends out a subsequent request that includes the information identifying the selected gateway. The subsequent request is transferred to the selected gateway for processing without further intervention by the load balancer.

Claims

1. A method for re-directing a client session, comprising:

receiving a request from a client terminal at a load balancer;

selecting one of a plurality of gateways being managed by the load balancer to process the request;

sending a re-direct message to the client terminal from the load balancer, the re-direct message including information identifying the selected gateway;

receiving at the load balancer from the client terminal a subsequent request associated with the re-direct message, the subsequent request including a private port number associated with the selected gateway; and

translating at the load balancer the private port number associated with the selected gateway to a defined port number of the selected gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding the subsequent request from the load balancer to the selected gateway, the subsequent request including the defined port number of the selected gateway.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving at the load balancer a response to the subsequent request from the selected gateway, the response including the defined port number of the selected gateway;

translating at the load balancer the defined port number of the selected gateway to the private port number associated with the selected gateway.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

forwarding the response to the client terminal from the load balancer, the response including the private port number associated with the selected gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining an association between the client terminal and the selected gateway at the load balancer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the selected gateway includes an Internet Protocol address of the selected gateway.

7. A method for re-directing a client session, comprising:

receiving a request from a client terminal at a load balancer;

selecting one of a plurality of gateways being managed by the load balancer to process the request;

sending a re-direct message to the client terminal from the load balancer, the re-direct message including information identifying the selected gateway; and

receiving at the load balancer from the client terminal a subsequent request associated with the re-direct message, the subsequent request including the Internet Protocol address of the selected gateway.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

forwarding the subsequent request to the selected gateway from the load balancer, the subsequent request including the Internet Protocol address of the selected gateway.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving at the load balancer a response to the subsequent request from the selected gateway, the response including the Internet Protocol address of the selected gateway;

forwarding the response to the client terminal from the load balancer.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

maintaining an association between the client terminal and the selected gateway at the load balancer.

11. An apparatus for re-directing a client session, comprising:

a load balancer operable to receive an initial request from a client terminal, the load balancer operable to select one of a plurality of gateways managed by the load balancer to process the request, the load balancer operable to send a re-direct message to the client terminal in response to the request, the re-direct message including information identifying the selected gateway;

wherein the load balancer receives a subsequent request from the client terminal, the subsequent request including the information identifying the selected gateway, the load balancer operable to forward the request to the selected gateway.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the load balancer maintains an association between the client terminal and the selected gateway.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the information identifying the selected gateway includes one of a private port number associated with the selected gateway and an Internet Protocol address of the selected gateway.

14. A method for re-directing a client session, comprising:

receiving a request from a client terminal at a load balancer;

selecting one of a plurality of gateways being managed by the load balancer to process the request;

sending a re-direct message to the client terminal from the load balancer, the re-direct message including information identifying the selected gateway;

receiving at the load balancer from the client terminal a subsequent request associated with the re-direct message, the subsequent request including information identifying the selected gateway; and

forwarding the subsequent request to the selected gateway from the load balancer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the subsequent request includes an Internet Protocol address of the selected gateway.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the subsequent request includes a private port number of the selected gateway.

17. An apparatus for re-directing a client session, comprising:

means for receiving at a load balancer a request from a client terminal;

means for selecting one of a plurality of gateways being managed to process the request;

means for sending a re-direct message to the client terminal, the re-direct message including information identifying the selected gateway;

means for receiving at the load balancer from the client terminal a subsequent request associated with the re-direct message, the subsequent request including the information identifying the selected gateway; and

means for forwarding the subsequent request to the selected gateway from the load balancer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the information identifying the selected gateway may be a private port number associated with the selected gateway.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the information identifying the selected gateway is an Internet Protocol address of the selected gateway.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for maintaining an association between the client terminal and the selected gateway.