Configurable geographic prefixes for global server load balancing

• US 7,496,651 B1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Foundry Networks Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Joshi, Prajakta S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs; Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US10/840,496
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/226, 709/237, 709/239, 709/245, 709/224, 370/352, 370/401, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/60 Types of network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/695 using masks or ranges of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations

Abstract

In a load balancing system, user-configurable geographic prefixes are provided. IP address prefix allocations provided by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and associated geographic locations are stored in a first, static database in a load balancing switch, along with other possible default geographic location settings. A second, non-static database stores user-configured geographic settings. In particular, the second database stores Internet Protocol (IP) address prefixes and user-specified geographic regions for those prefixes. The specified geographic region can be continent, country, state, city, or other user-defined region. The geographic settings in the second database can override the information in the first database. These geographic entries help determine the geographic location of a client and host IP addresses, and aid in directing the client to a host server that is geographically the closest to that client.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-allocated first address prefix information and corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information;

storing second address prefix information and corresponding second geographic region information;

for network addresses that have first address prefix information that matches the second address prefix information, associating these network addresses to the second geographic region information, which is different from said corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information; and

selecting one of said network addresses associated to the second geographic region information as an optimum address to provide to a query from a client having a network address that corresponds to the second geographic region information, the method further comprising for each of the network addresses;

determining whether the network address is a real or virtual address;

if the network address is determined to be a real address, determining whether the real address matches the second address prefix information;

if the real address matches the second address prefix information, updating geographic location information associated with the real address with the second geographic region information; and

if the network address is determined to be a virtual address;

finding a site address associated with the virtual address;

determining whether the site address matches the second address prefix information; and

if the site address matches the second address prefix information, updating geographic location information associated with the virtual address to the second geographic region information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a geographic region of a server through which the client can access a domain associated with the optimum address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing a request from the client to a server of a domain that is geographically close to the client using at least one of:

the client and server are in a same continent;

the client and server are in a same country;

the client and server are in a same state;

the client and server are in a same city; and

the client and server are in a same user-defined area.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting includes using specified second geographic region information for a site of a domain associated with said network addresses to load balance the traffic to the site.

5. A method comprising:

storing Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-allocated first address prefix information and corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information;

storing second address prefix information and corresponding second geographic region information;

for network addresses that have first address prefix information that matches the second address prefix information associating these network addresses to the second geographic region information, which is different from said corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information; and

selecting one of said network addresses associated to the second geographic region information as an optimum address to provide to a query from a client having a network address that corresponds to the second geographic region information, wherein said selecting includes;

determining said network address of the client;

determining whether the network address of the client corresponds to the second geographic region information;

if the second geographic region information is determined to correspond to the network address of the client, selecting a server associated with the second geographic region information to receive traffic from the client;

if the second geographic region information is determined to not correspond to the network address of the client, determining whether the network address of the client corresponds to the first geographic region information; and

if the network address of the client is determined to correspond to the first geographic region information, selecting a server associated with the first geographic region information to receive the traffic from the client.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said storing IANA-designated first geographic region information includes storing IANA-designated continent designations, and wherein said second geographic region information includes continent designations that are different than said IANA-designated continent designations for matching address prefix information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of storing the first and second address prefix information and geographic region information includes storing such information in a database.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintaining the first geographic region information for network addresses that have first address prefix information that does not match the second address prefix information.

9. A method comprising:

storing static Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-designated geographic region information associated with network addresses;

storing user-specified geographic region information associated with an address portion;

replacing the stored static geographic region information with the user-specified geographic region information for network address having the address portion said user-specified geographic region information being different from said IANA-designated geographic region information for said network address; and

determining which of the network addresses to direct traffic from a client based at least in part on whether an address of the client more closely corresponds to the user-specified geographic region information, the method further comprising for each of the network addresses;

determining whether the network address is a real or virtual address;

if the network address is determined to be a real address, determining whether the real address matches the address portion;

if the real address matches the address portion, updating geographic location information associated with the real address with the user-specified geographic region information; and

if the network address is determined to be a virtual address;

finding a site address associated with the virtual address;

determining whether the site address matches the address portion; and

if the site address matches the address portion, updating geographic location information associated with the virtual address to the user-specified geographic region information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said determining which of the network address to direct traffic from the client, based at least in part on whether the address of the client more closely corresponds to the user-specified geographic region information, includes directing a request from the client to a server that is geographically close to the client based on at least one of:

the client and server are in a same continent;

the client and server are in a same country;

the client and server are in a same state;

the client and server are in a same city; and

the client and server are in a same user-defined area.

11. A method, comprising:

storing static Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-designated geographic region information associated with network addresses;

storing user-specified geographic region information associated with an address portion;

replacing the stored static geographic region information with the user-specified geographic region information for network address having the address portion, said user-specified geographic region information being different from said IANA-designated geographic region information for said network address; and

determining which of the network addresses to direct traffic from a client, based at least in part on whether an address of the client more closely corresponds to the user-specified geographic region information, wherein said determining includes;

determining the address of the client;

determining whether the client address corresponds to the user-specified geographic region information;

if the client address is determined to correspond to the user-specified geographic region information, selecting a server associated with the user-specified geographic region information to receive the traffic from the client;

if the client address is determined to not correspond to the user-specified geographic region information, determining whether the client address corresponds to the static geographic region information; and

if the client address is determined to correspond to the static geographic region information, selecting a server associated with the static geographic region information to receive the traffic from the client.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said storing user-specified geographic region information associated with the address portion includes storing user-specified geographic region information associated with an address prefix.

13. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to;

read Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-allocated first address prefix information and corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information;

read second address prefix information and corresponding second geographic region information;

for network addresses that have first address prefix information that matches the second address prefix information, associate these network addresses to the second geographic region information, which is different from said corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information; and

select one of said network addresses associated to the second geographic region information as an optimum address to provide to a query from a client having a network address that corresponds to the second geographic region information, wherein the storage medium further includes instructions stored thereon that are executable by said processor to, for each of the network addresses;

determine whether the network address is a real or virtual address;

if the network address is determined to be a real address, determine whether the real address matches the second address prefix information;

if the real address matches the second address prefix information, update geographic location information associated with the real address with the second geographic region information; and

if the network address is determined to be a virtual address;

find a site address associated with the virtual address;

determine whether the site address matches the second address prefix information; and

if the site address matches the second address prefix information, update geographic location information associated with the virtual address to the second geographic region information.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the instructions to select include instructions to use specified second geographic region information for a site of a domain associated with said network addresses to load balance the traffic to the site.

15. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to;

read Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-allocated first address prefix information and corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information;

read second address prefix information and corresponding second geographic region information;

for network addresses that have first address prefix information that matches the second address prefix information, associate these network addresses to the second geographic region information, which is different from said corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information; and

select one of said network addresses associated to the second geographic region information as an optimum address to provide to a query from a client having a network address that corresponds to the second geographic region information, wherein the instructions to select include instructions executable by said processor to;

determine said network address of the client;

determine whether the network address of the client corresponds to the second geographic region information;

if the second geographic region information is determined to correspond to the network address of the client, select a server associated with the second geographic region information to receive traffic from the client;

if the second geographic region information is determined to not correspond to the network address of the client, determine whether the network address of the client corresponds to the first geographic region information; and

if the network address of the client is determined to correspond to the first geographic region information, select a server associated with the first geographic region information to receive the traffic from the client.

16. A system, comprising:

a means for storing static Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-designated geographic region information associated with network addresses;

a means for storing user-specified geographic region information associated with an address portion; and

a controller means for replacing the stored static geographic region information with the user-specified geographic region information for network address having the address portion said user-specified geographic region information being different from said IANA-designated geographic region information for said network address and for determining which of the network addresses to direct traffic from a client based at least in part on whether an address of the client more closely corresponds to the user-specified geographic region information, wherein said controller means is further;

for determining, for each of the network addresses, whether the network address is a real or virtual address;

if the network address is determined to be a real address, for determining whether the real address matches the address portion;

if the real address matches the address portion, for updating geographic location information associated with the real address with the user-specified geographic region information;

if the network address is determined to be a virtual address;

for finding a site address associated with the virtual address;

for determining whether the site address matches the address portion; and

if the site address matches the address portion, for updating geographic location information associated with the virtual address to the user-specified geographic region information.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said controller means determines whether to use a geographic region associated with a management address of a network device for a site or a user-specified geographic region associated with the site to perform load balancing.

18. A system comprising:

a means for storing static Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-designated geographic region information associated with network addresses;

a means for storing user-specified geographic region information associated with an address portion; and

a controller means for replacing the stored static geographic region information with the user-specified geographic region information for network address having the address portion, said user-specified geographic region information being different from said IANA-designated geographic region information for said network address, and for determining which of the network addresses to direct traffic from a client, based at least in part on whether an address of the client more closely corresponds to the user-specified geographic region information, wherein said controller means is further;

for determining the address of the client;

for determining whether the client address corresponds to the user-specified geographic region information;

if the client address is determined to correspond to the user-specified geographic region information, for selecting a server associated with the user-specified geographic region information to receive the traffic from the client;

if the client address is determined to not correspond to the user-specified geographic region information, for determining whether the client address corresponds to the static geographic region information; and

if the client address is correspond to the static geographic region information, for selecting a server associated with the static geographic region information to receive the traffic from the client.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said controller means load balances traffic to the network addresses based on a plurality of performance metrics.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit to store Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-allocated first address prefix information and corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information;

a second storage unit to store second address prefix information and corresponding second geographic region information;

a controller coupled to the first and second storage units to, for network addresses that have first address prefix information that matches the second address prefix information associate these network addresses to the second geographic region information, which is different from said corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information; and

software code executable by the controller to select one of said network addresses associated to the second geographic region information as an optimum address to provide to a query from a client having a network address that corresponds to the second geographic region information, wherein the software code includes;

code to determine, for each of the network addresses, whether the network address is a real or virtual address;

if the network address is determined to be a real address, code to determine whether the real address matches the second address prefix information;

if the real address matches the second address prefix information, code to update geographic location information associated with the real address with the second geographic region information; and

if the network address is determined to be a virtual address;

code to find a site address associated with the virtual address;

code to determine whether the site address matches the second address prefix information; and

if the site address matches the second address prefix information, code to update geographic location information associated with the virtual address to the second geographic region information.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a first storage unit to store Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)-allocated first address prefix information and corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information;

a second storage unit to store second address prefix information and corresponding second geographic region information;

a controller coupled to the first and second storage units to, for network addresses that have first address prefix information that matches the second address prefix information associate these network addresses to the second geographic region information, which is different from said corresponding IANA-designated first geographic region information; and

software code executable by the controller to select one of said network addresses associated to the second geographic region information as an optimum address to provide to a query from a client having a network address that corresponds to the second geographic region information, wherein the software code includes;

code to determine said network address of the client;

code to determine whether the network address of the client corresponds to the second geographic region information;

if the second geographic region information is determined to correspond to the network address of the client, code to select a server associated with the second geographic region information to receive traffic from the client;

if the second geographic region information is determined to not correspond to the network address of the client, code to determine whether the network address of the client corresponds to the first geographic region information; and

if the network address of the client is determined to correspond to the first geographic region information, code to select a server associated with the first geographic region information to receive the traffic from the client.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein at least one of the first and second storage units is a database.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein at least a portion of the first and second storage units are integrated in a single storage unit.