Method and system for communicating an information packet through multiple router devices

• US 7,640,298 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cloudrock LLC (Slingshot Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Noatak Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Berg, Mitchell T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Won; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/265,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20060098630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/238, 709/239, 709/243, 709/250, 709/253, 709/217, 709/227, 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/165 Combined use of TCP and UDP protocols; selection criteria therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a first computing device receives a first information packet from a second computing device. The second computing device receives the first information packet from a global computer network through a first router device. The first computing device outputs a second information packet to the global computer network through a second router device, such that the second information packet bypasses the first router device.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to;

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the request packet received by the second computing device via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and the second local-area network, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to;

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is further configured to receive a third information packet via the global computer network and the second local-area network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device comprises a network interface card.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second computing device is configured to be coupled to the client via at least the first router device and the global computer network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is configured to output the second information packet to the global computer network via the second local-area network and a second router.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is configured to output the second information packet to the global computer network via the second local-area network and the first router.

7. A method performed by a first computing device of an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

outputting a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and the second local area network such that the second information packet appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to;

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network; and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

the first computing device receiving a third information packet via the global computer network and the second local-area network.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first computing device comprises a network interface card.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the second computing device is coupled to the client via at least the first router device and the global computer network.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the first computing device outputs the second information packet to the global information network via at least the second local-area network and a second router.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the first computing device outputs the second information packet to the global information network via at least the second local-area network and the first router.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the second computing device comprises a network interface card.

14. A method performed by a first computing device of an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

outputting a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and a third local area network that bypasses the second computing device, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to;

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network; and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

15. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to;

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and the second local-area network, such that the second information packet appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second computing device comprises an intelligent network interface card;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to;

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

16. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to;

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and a third local-area network that connects at least the first computing device and the global computer network, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but appears to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to;

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

17. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to;

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client directly via the global computer network, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but contains information indicative that the second information packet originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to;

bypass the first local-area network; and

connect at least the first router to the second computing device, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

18. A server farm, comprising:

a first device; and

a second device;

wherein the first device is configured to be connected to the second device via a network;

wherein the first device is configured to receive a client information packet from a global computer network via a first local-area network, and to forward the client information packet along with a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first device, an address of the second device, and an address of the client, to the second device via a second local-area network, and

wherein the second device is configured to bypass the first device when outputting a second information packet to the global computer network via the first local area network, and wherein the second information packet appears to have originated from the first device.

19. A server farm, comprising:

a first device; and

a second device;

wherein the first device is configured to be connected to the second device via a network;

wherein the first device is configured to receive a client information packet from a global computer network via a first local-area network, and to forward the client information packet along with a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first device, an address of the second device, and an address of the client, to the second device via a second local-area network, and

wherein the second device is configured to bypass the first device when outputting a second information packet to the global computer network via a third local area network, and wherein the second information packet contains information indicative that the second information packet originated from the first device.