Distributed cache for state transfer operations

• US 7,383,329 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aventail LLC
• Inventors: Erickson, Rodger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim; Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/783,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,667 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709/206, 709214-216, 709217-219, 709227-229, 709/223, 709/224, 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A network arrangement that employs a cache having copies distributed among a plurality of different locations. The cache stores state information for a session with any of the server devices so that it is accessible to at least one other server device. Using this arrangement, when a client device switches from a connection with a first server device to a connection with a second server device, the second server device can retrieve state information from the cache corresponding to the session between the client device and the first server device. The second server device can then use the retrieved state information to accept a session with the client device.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining session based communications with a client, comprising:

a primary server for communicating with the client, the primary server employing a cache memory containing state information for a session between the primary server and the client; and

a plurality of secondary servers employing cache memory containing a copy of a portion of the state information for the session between the primary server and the client, the portion of the state information received from the primary server, wherein the client may establish a new session with any one the servers from the plurality of secondary servers if the session between the primary server and the client terminates, and wherein the server from the plurality of secondary servers having established a new session with the client may request a necessary portion of state information from another server from the plurality of secondary servers if the necessary portion of the state information is not present at the server from the plurality of secondary servers having established a new session with the client, the plurality of secondary servers collectively maintaining a complete copy of the state information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the state information is credential information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the credential information includes a Secure Sockets Layer session identifier.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the credential information also includes Secure Sockets Layer session information.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the credential information also includes authentication information.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the credential information also includes authentication information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the state information is data segment information for controlling the transmission of a data segment between the primary server and the client.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the state information is Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol header information.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the state information is purchase information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the purchase information is items selected for purchase by a user of the client.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the purchase information is financial transaction information for a user of the client.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the purchase information is billing addresses information.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the state information is stored in cache memory using a hash table.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the state information is stored in cache memory using the BUZhash algorithm.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary server transmits the state information to the plurality of secondary servers using multicast communication.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the primary server transmits the state information to the plurality of secondary servers using negative acknowledgement multicast communication.