Packet redirection and message stream management

• US 7,508,753 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Janow, Richard H., Greenspan, Steven Lloyd
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US10/955,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20050195836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 370/218, 370/235, 370/352, 370/401, 370/428, 379/88.17, 379/93.07, 709/203, 709/231, 709/238, 709/249
• US Class Current: 370/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer

Abstract

A stream manager provides a way of redirecting and managing messaging and information access in a packet network environment. The stream manager is linked to a packet network, such as the Internet. The stream manager receives over the packet network a message from a user'"'"'s host server initiated by a user and intended for a destination site. The message bears an address for the stream manager which is provided to the host server by the address server for the packet network, such as a server utilized as part of the domain name system. The stream manager determines the availability of at least one destination server at the destination site to receive and process the message. If a destination server at the destination site is available to receive and process the message, the stream manager selects a destination server from those available.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

at a gateway in a packet network,

responsive to a received Domain Name System (DNS) supplied message initiated by a user, determining availability of a plurality of destination servers at a destination site, the received DNS supplied message comprising a first address of the gateway and a second address of the destination site;

selecting a destination server from the plurality of destination servers; and

initiating routing of the message to the selected destination server.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the gateway, information about congestion at the destination site, the information about congestion including a measure of message traffic toad relative to available capacity for each available destination server, the destination server selected based upon the congestion at the destination site.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the gateway, information about congestion a the destination site, the information about congestion transmitted over a communications link with the destination site, the communications link excluding the packet network, the destination server selected based upon the congestion at the destination site.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

directing replies from the destination site to the user through the gateway to measure service quality relating to the destination site, the destination server selected based upon the service quality.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if no destination server is available, reporting information indicative of unavailability to the user, the information further comprising promotional information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if no destination server is available, informing the user that requested information will be e-mailed.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending promotional information to the user.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending customer care information to the user.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

rerouting reply messages intended for the user from the destination server to a front-end mailbox associated with the user.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

a DNS server that provides the DNS supplied message selects the gateway from a plurality of gateways.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, from a plurality of packet networks, a transmission packet network for transmitting the message.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

routing the message to the selected destination server over a determined packet network.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises information that originates from a Plain Old Telephone Service.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises information that originates from a video camera.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises information that originates from a database.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message comprises multimedia information.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second address is an IP address.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second address is a URL.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message is routed via a private network.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of initiating routing of the message to the selected destination server comprises changing the second address.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of initiating the routing of the message to the selected destination server comprises routing the message through the packet network to an address for the selected destination server.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of initiating routing of the message to the selected destination server comprises routing the message through a network other than the packet network.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of initiating the routing of the message to the selected destination server comprises returning an address for the selected destination server to a host server associated with the user for use in sending messages from the user to the selected destination server.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a destination server includes determining which one of the plurality of destination servers has a lowest message traffic load relative to that server'"'"'s available capacity, the gateway providing requests to the selected destination server at a rate consisting with a currently-available capacity and load of the selected destination server.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting a the destination server includes determining which one of the plurality of destination servers is appropriate for handing the message based upon information about the user, the information about the user comprising a previous interaction of the user with a determined destination server of the plurality of destination servers.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gateway'"'"'s interaction with any messages to which the user and the destination site are parties is controlled by the destination site after the selected destination server has been successfully reached with the message.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gateway is coupled to a plurality of gateways through an internal network.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the packet network is one of a plurality of packet networks.

29. A gateway comprising:

a communications interface communicatively coupleable to a packet network; and

a processor that;

responsive to a received Domain Name System (DNS) supplied message initiated by a user, selects a destination server from at least two destination servers available to receive and process the message, the message comprising a first address of the gateway and a second address of a destination site of the at least two destination servers; and

initiates the routing of the message to the selected destination server.