Multi-layer system for scalable hosting platform

• US 7,624,168 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hostway Corporation (Hosting.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hostway Corporation (Hosting.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roh, Lucas Joon, Kim, Jooyong, Abate, Jason Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs; Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US11/346,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20070180116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/201, 709/217, 709/219, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• 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 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer

Abstract

A hosting platform includes a main server layer and an auxiliary server layer. The main server layer includes one or more servers and a server of the one or more servers is designated to process requests for one or more hosts. The auxiliary server layer may be removably coupled to and in communication with the main layer. The auxiliary layer may process the request redirected from the main layer when the designated server of the main layer is overloaded.

Claims

1. A scalable hosting platform, comprising:

a main server layer including one or more servers wherein a server is designated to process a selected request to a selected host from a client; and

,

an auxiliary server layer removably coupled to and in communication with the main server layer, the auxiliary server layer being independently unavailable to the client and processing requests including the selected request upon redirection from the main server layer;

wherein subsequent to receipt of the selected request at the designated server, the main server layer determines whether the designated server is overloaded and whether usage consumption assigned to the selected host is within threshold usage consumption, and the main server layer redirects the selected request upon determination that the designated server is overloaded where the selected request redirected from the main server layer is modified to associate with a different class when the usage consumption is beyond the threshold usage consumption;

wherein upon processing the selected request redirected from the main server layer, the auxiliary server layer sends a response to the selected request.

2. The scalable hosting platform of claim 1, wherein the main server layer comprises a monitoring unit configured to monitor a real-time status of the designated server.

3. The scalable hosting platform of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary server layer comprises a plurality of server layers that includes a first auxiliary server layer and a second auxiliary server layer, the second auxiliary server layer operating as an auxiliary layer for the first auxiliary server layer and removably coupled to the first auxiliary server layer.

4. The scalable hosting platform of claim 3, wherein the first auxiliary server layer is remotely located from the second auxiliary server layer.

5. The scalable hosting platform of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary server layer comprises a plurality of server layers having a first server layer and the first server layer includes a plurality of first servers and a first manager, the first manager assigning the requests redirected from the main server layer to the first servers based on status of the first servers.

6. The scalable hosting platform of claim 5, wherein the plurality of server layers further comprises a second server layer that includes a second manager and a plurality of second servers, the second manager assigning the requests redirected from the main server layer to the second servers based on status of the second servers.

7. The scalable hosting platform of claim 5, wherein the first manager monitors the first servers and changes configuration of the first servers based on the status of the first servers, the configuration of the first servers comprising grouping of the first servers associated with classifications of the requests.

8. The scalable hosting platform of claim 7, wherein the first manager designates one group of the first servers and further designates a server of the designated group for processing the redirected requests based on the changed configuration.

9. The scalable hosting platform of claim 7, wherein each request is sent to one of groups of the first servers based on a classification of the request.

10. The scalable hosting platform of claim 7, wherein a classification of the requests is represented with an identification.

11. The scalable hosting platform of claim 10, wherein the identification comprises one of internet protocol (“

IP”

) address and a domain name.

12. The scalable hosting platform of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary server layer comprises one or more servers and a plurality of virtual servers, the virtual servers processing the redirected requests with physical resources of the one or more servers.

13. The scalable hosting platform of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary server layer is located remotely from the main server layer.

14. A scalable hosting platform, comprising:

a first server of a first layer that serves one or more hosts wherein a designated server of the first server is associated with a selected host and responds to a selected request to the selected host from a client;

a monitoring module that monitors the designated server and determines an overloaded condition of the designated server wherein the monitoring module classifies the selected request to determine a quality of service;

wherein the monitoring module resides in the designated server and the designated server redirects the selected request in response to the overloaded condition;

wherein the monitoring module determines whether usage consumption of the selected host is within assigned usage consumption and the selected request redirected from the first layer is modified to associate with a different class when the usage consumption is beyond the assigned usage consumption;

a second server of a second layer that processes requests including the selected request upon redirection of the requests from the first layer, the second server being independently unavailable to the client; and

a manager that monitors a status of the second server, the manager identifying a group of the second server associated with a classification of the request and dynamically changing the association based on the status of the second server.

15. The scalable hosting platform of claim 14, wherein the second layer comprises a plurality of server layers that includes a first auxiliary server layer and a second auxiliary server layer, the second auxiliary server layer operating as an auxiliary layer for the first auxiliary server layer and removably coupled to the first auxiliary server layer.

16. The scalable hosting platform of claim 15, wherein the designated server redirects the request by using one of proxying, application redirection, network address translation (“

NAT”

), Layer 4 load balancing and Layer 7 load balancing.

17. The scalable hosting platform of claim 16, wherein the second server layer comprises a first group associated with a first classification and a second group associated with a second classification and wherein the manager changes the association of the first and second server groups with the first classification and the second classification, respectively.

18. The scalable hosting platform of claim 17, wherein servers of the second group is changed to be associated with the first classification to the extent that the quality of service relevant to the second classification is preserved.

19. The scalable hosting platform of claim 14, wherein the manager comprises:

a monitor unit that monitors a real-time status of the second server;

a configurator that changes the association of the second server with the classification based on monitoring of the monitor unit.

20. The scalable hosting platform of claim 19, wherein the configurator designates -grouping of the second server and indicates availability of a particular server within each server group.

21. The scalable hosting platform of claim 19, wherein the manager further comprises a distributor that distributes the request to a server of one group of the second server based on the changed association by the configurator.

22. The scalable hosting platform of claim 20, wherein the manager further comprises an assigning module that receives the request and identifies the classification of the request, the assigning module mapping the classification of the request to the grouping of the second servers.

23. The scalable hosting platform of claim 14, wherein the classification comprises information that indicates a determined quality of service of the request.

24. The scalable hosting platform of claim 14, wherein the classification is performed based on an URL of the request, a domain name of the request, an IP address of the request, an application level data of the request, usage consumption of the one host, or a combination thereof.

25. The scalable hosting platform of claim 14, wherein the first server comprises a plurality of servers and the monitoring module is disposed in each server of the plurality of servers.

26. The scalable hosting platform of claim 14, wherein the first server comprises multiple servers and the monitoring module is disposed in the multiple servers among the first server.

27. A scalable hosting method, comprising:

receiving an internet request at a first hosting server of a first layer from a client;

subsequent to receipt of the internet request, monitoring a status of the first hosting server to determine whether the first hosting server is overloaded and usage consumption assigned to the first hosting server is within threshold usage consumption;

redirecting the internet request by the first hosting server of the first layer to a second hosting server of a second layer upon determination that the status of the first hosting server is overloaded,

wherein the second hosting server is independently unavailable to the client;

modifying a classification of the redirected request when the usage consumption of the first hosting server is beyond the threshold usage consumption;

assigning the redirected request to the second hosting server when the second hosting server has the classification consistent with the classification of the redirected request and the second hosting server is available;

monitoring a status of the second hosting server; and

assigning the redirected request to a third hosting server of a third layer when the second hosting server is overloaded, wherein the classification of the third hosting server is changed to have the classification of the redirected request.

28. The scalable hosting method of claim 27, further comprising determining that the request is subject to an internal redirection or an external redirection.

29. The scalable hosting method of claim 28, further comprising prior to the external redirection, classifying the request such that a classified request is identified with a network address.

30. The scalable hosting method of claim 27, further comprising adding a new server if all of the first, second and third hosting servers are overloaded.

31. The scalable hosting method of claim 27, further comprising dynamically and constantly changing configuration of the second and third hosting servers associated with classifications of the requests based on the status of the second and third hosting servers.