Method and apparatus for equalizing load of streaming media server

• US 7,707,301 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Deng, Xuelai
• Primary Examiner(s): Ismail; Shawki S
• Assistant Examiner(s): FORD, GRANT M
• Application Number:
  US10/488,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,812 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 709227-229, 709230-231, 709/238, 709/245, 709/249, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/238, 370/245, 370/249, 370/235, 370/389
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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: H04N 21/23103 using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23116 involving data replication, e.g. over plural servers synchronization of replicated data G06F11/1658; error detection or correction by means of data replication G06F11/2053; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/10; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/27; replication or mirroring of data in data networks H04L67/1095

Abstract

The invention deals with a method and apparatus of realizing load equalizing on the stream media server. The load equalizer is placed in front of the stream media server and the servers are trusted by the load equalizer. Each server has its private IP address, and the load equalizer is in charge of its exoteric IP address, which comprises the processing module of the client port, the processing module of the server port, and the main control module. The processing module of the client port is set to recognize and transfer the data from the client. The processing module of the server port is set to recognize and transfer the data from the server. The main control module orderly matches the data required to be processed further to determine which actual server will process the data, and to establish the list of the stream rules between the processing module of the client port and the processing module of the server port.

Claims

1. A method of equalizing load on stream media servers, wherein each server has its own private IP address, the method comprises the following steps of:

a processing module of client port, comprised in a load equalizer which is disposed before the stream media servers which are trusted by the load equalizer, intercepting a TCP request from a client with a first-class stream rule of a client port and forwarding the TCP request to a main control module in the load equalizer to obtain the address of an actual destination server of the stream media servers, wherein the load equalizer is in charge of a public IP address;

the main control module sending a Synchronize Number (SYN) packet sent from the client to the destination server;

a processing module of server port in the load equalizer intercepting a response sent from the destination server with a first-class stream rule of a server port and forwarding the response to the main control module so that the destination server accomplishes a Synchronize Number (SYN) response;

the main control module creating a second-class stream rule of the client port and a second-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to the address and Synchronize Number (SYN) information of the destination server so as to establish a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel between the client port and the server port;

the main control module creating a third-class stream rule of the client port and a third-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to information of the control channel so as to establish a data channel between the client port and the server port.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first-class stream rule of the client port and the first-class stream rule of the server port are default

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second-class stream rule of the client port and the second-class stream rule of the server port are Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the control channel.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third-class stream rule of the client port and the third-class stream rule of the server port are Real-Time Transport Protocol/Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTP/RTCP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the data channel.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of forwarding the TCP request sent from the client to the main control module, the method further comprises a step of returning a Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client by the main control module.

6. The method according to claim 5, after the step of returning a Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client, the method further comprises a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request by the client and intercepting the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request and forwarding the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the main control module by the processing module of client port.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of sending the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the destination server by the main control module.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response by the destination server on receiving the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request, and intercepting and converting a serial number of the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response and sending the response to the main control module by the processing module of server port.

9. A method of equalizing load on stream media servers, comprising:

setting a processing module of a client port to intercept a TCP request sent from a client in accordance with a first-class stream rule at the client port and to forward the request to a main control module of a load equalizer to obtain an address of a destination server, wherein the load equalizer is disposed before the stream media servers, each server has a private IP address, and the load equalizer is in charge of a public IP address;

the main control module sending a Synchronize Number (SYN) packet sent from the client to the destination server;

setting a processing module of a server port of the load equalizer to intercept a response from the destination server in accordance with a first-class stream rule at the server port and to forward the response to the main control module so that the destination server accomplishes a Synchronize Number (SYN) response;

the main control module creating a second-class stream rule at the client port and a second-class stream rule the server port according to an address and SYN information of the destination server, so as to establish a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel between the client port and the server port; and

the main control module creating a third-class stream rule at the client port and a third-class stream rule the server port according to certain information of the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel so as to establish a data channel between the client port and the server port.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first-class stream rule at the client port and the first-class stream rule at the server port are default rules with low priority.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second-class stream rule at the client port and the second-class stream rule at the server port are Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the control channel.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the third-class stream rule at the client port and the third-class stream rule at the server port are Real-Time Transport Protocol/Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTP/RTCP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the data channel.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein after the step of forwarding the TCP request sent from the client to the main control module, the method further comprises a step of returning a Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client by the main control module.

14. The method according to claim 13, after the step of returning a Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client, the method further comprises a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request by the client and intercepting the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request and forwarding the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the main control module by the processing module of client port.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of sending the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the destination server by the main control module.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response by the destination server on receiving the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request, and intercepting and converting a serial number of the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response and sending the response to the main control module by the processing module of server port.

17. A load equalizer for equalizing load on stream media servers, wherein the load equalizer is disposed before the stream media servers which are trusted by said load equalizer, each server has its own private IP address, and the load equalizer is in charge of a public IP address, the load equalizer comprises:

processing module of client port, adapted to intercept a TCP request from a client with a first-class stream rule of a client port and forward the TCP request to a main control module in the load equalizer to obtain the address of an actual destination server;

the main control module including a processor and being adapted to send a Synchronize Number (SYN) packet sent from the client to the destination server; and

a processing module of server port, adapted to intercept a response sent from the destination server with a first-class stream rule of a server port and forward the response to the main control module so that the destination server accomplishes a Synchronize Number (SYN) response,

wherein the main control module is further adapted to create a second-class stream rule of the client port and a second-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to the address and Synchronize Number (SYN) information of the destination server so as to establish a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel between the client port and the server port, and create a third-class stream rule of the client port and a third-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to information of the control channel so as to establish a data channel between the client port and the server port.