Load balancing apparatus and method

• US 7,437,461 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sugizaki, Atsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; David Y
• Application Number:
  US10/945,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 709/105, 709/104, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

An object of this invention is to suppress influence due to a server trouble. This load balancing method comprises: if it is detected that a trouble occurred in a first server included in plural servers, selecting a second server other than the first server from the plural servers as a new transfer destination of a processing request from a user terminal whose transfer destination of the processing request is set to the first server; and generating and storing into a connection management data storage, setting data to transfer the processing request from the user terminal whose transfer destination of the processing request is set to the first server to the second server via a transfer route determined based on a predetermined rule. Thus, the processing request from the user terminal associated with the first server in which the trouble occurred is transferred to another normal second server, appropriately.

Claims

1. A load balancing apparatus for transferring a processing request from a user terminal to either of a plurality of servers, comprising:

a selector that selects, if it is detected that a trouble occurred in a first server included in said plurality of servers, a second server other than said first server from said plurality of servers as a new transfer destination of said processing request whose transfer destination is set to said first server;

a generator that determines a specific connection that is one of a new connection and an already-established connection, to said second server, and generates and stores into a connection management data storage, without deleting data concerning a connection to said user terminal in said connection management data storage, setting data to transfer said processing request whose transfer destination is set to said first server to said second server via said specific connection; and

a unit that transfers said processing request according to said setting data stored in said connection management data storage,

wherein said connection management data storage stores data representing an association between a terminal-side connection to said user terminal and a server-side connection to either of said plurality of servers, and

said generator generates said setting data including said new connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal, when said specific connection is said new connection, and generates said setting data including said already-established connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal, when said specific connection is said already-established server.

2. The load balancing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said already-established connection includes a first-type connection to said second server, which is already established and being used, and

said generator determines said first-type connection to said second server, which is already established and being used, and generates said setting data including said first-type connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal.

3. The load balancing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said already-established connection includes a second-type connection to said second server, which is already established and is not used, and

said generator determines said second-type connection to said second server, which is already established and not used, and generates said setting data including said second-type connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal.

4. The load balancing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a load state judging unit that judges load states of said plurality of servers, and

wherein said generator determines, as said specific connection, a connection to said second server, which is already established and being used, in a case where said load state judging unit judges that a load of said second server is higher than a predetermined reference, and determines, as said specific connection, a connection to said second server, which is already established and is not used, in a case where said load state judging unit judges that said load of said second server is equal to or lower than said predetermined reference.

5. The load balancing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a load state judging unit that judges load states of said plurality of servers, and

wherein said generator determines, as said specific connection, a connection to said second server, which is already established and being used, in a case where said load state judging unit judges that a load of said second server is higher than a predetermined reference, and determines, as said specific connection, a new connection to said second server in a case where said load state judging unit judges that said load of said second server is equal to or lower than said predetermined reference.

6. The load balancing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said generator determines, as said specific connection, a connection to said second server, which is already established and is not used, in a case where said connection to said second server exists, and determines, as said specific connection, a new connection to said second server in a case where only a connection being used in connections to said second server, which is already established.

7. The load balancing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a load state judging unit that judges load states of said plurality of servers, and

wherein said generator determines, as said specific connection, a first connection to said second server, which is already established and being used, in a case where said load state judging unit judges that a load of said second server is higher than a predetermined reference, determines, as said specific connection, a second connection to said second server, which is already established and is not used, in a case where said load state judging unit judges that said load of said second server is equal to or lower than said predetermined reference and said second connection exists, and determines, as said specific connection, a new connection to said second server, in a case where said load state judging unit judges that said load of said second server is equal to or lower than said predetermined reference and there are only connections being used in connections to said second server, which are already established.

8. A storage medium storing a load balancing program for causing a processor to transfer a processing request from a user terminal to either of a plurality of servers, said load balancing program comprising:

if it is detected that a trouble occurred in a first server included in said plurality of servers, selecting a second server other than said first server from said plurality of servers as a new transfer destination of said processing request whose transfer destination is set to said first server;

determining a specific connection that is one of a new connection and an already-established connection, to said second server, and generating and storing into a connection management data storage, without deleting data concerning a connection to said user terminal in said connection management data storage, setting data to transfer said processing request whose transfer destination is set to said first server to said second server via said specific connection; and

controlling transfer of said processing request according to said setting data stored in said connection management data storage,

wherein said connection management data storage stores data representing an association between a terminal-side connection to said user terminal and a server-side connection to either of said plurality of servers, and

said generating and storing comprises;

generating said setting data including said new connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal, when said specific connection is said new connection; and

generating said setting data including said already-established connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal, when said specific connection is said already-established server.

9. The storage medium as set forth in claim 8, wherein said already-established connection is a first-type connection to said second server, which already established and being used, and

said determining, generating and storing comprises determining said first-type connection to said second server, which is already established and being used, and generating said setting data including said first-type connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal.

10. The storage medium as set forth in claim 8, wherein said already-established connection is a second-type connection to said second server, which is already established and is not used, and

said determining, generating and storing comprises:

determining said second-type connection to said second server, which is already established and not used, and generating said setting data including said second-type connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal.

11. The storage medium as set forth in claim 8, said load balancing program further comprising:

judging load states of said plurality of servers, and

wherein said determining, generating and storing comprises;

determining, as said specific connection, a first connection to said second server, which is already established and being used, in a case where it is judged in said judging that a load of said second server is higher than a predetermined reference;

determining, as said specific connection, a second connection to said second server, which is already established and is not used, in a case where it is judged in said judging that said load of said second server is equal to or lower than said predetermined reference and said second connection exists; and

determining, as said specific connection, a new connection to said second server, in a case where it is judged in said judging that said load of said second server is equal to or lower than said predetermined reference and there are only connections being used in connections to said second server, which are already established.

12. A load balancing method for transferring a processing request from a user terminal to either of a plurality of servers, said load balancing method comprising:

if it is detected that a trouble occurred in a first server included in said plurality of servers, selecting a second server other than said first server from said plurality of servers as a new transfer destination of said processing request whose transfer destination is set to said first server;

determining a specific connection that is one of a new connection and an already-established connection, to said second server, and generating and storing into a connection management data storage, without deleting data concerning a connection to said user terminal in said connection management data storage, setting data to transfer said processing request whose transfer destination is set to said first server to said second server via said specific connection; and

transferring said processing request according to said setting data stored in said connection management data storage,

wherein said connection management data storage stores data representing an association between a terminal-side connection to said user terminal and a server-side connection to either of said plurality of servers, and

said generating and storing comprises;

generating said setting data including said new connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal, when said specific connection is said new connection; and

generating said setting data including said already-established connection to said second server, as said server-side connection, in association with said terminal-side connection to said user terminal, when said specific connection is said already-established server.