Arrangement for selecting a server to provide distributed services from among multiple servers based on a location of a client device

• US 7,747,720 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Toebes, John, Walker, Douglas Jay, Turner, Bryan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HU, JINSONG
• Application Number:
  US11/134,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20060117038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/238, 709/239, 370/401, 370/409
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations

Abstract

A selection resource executed within the network is configured for selecting from among a plurality of servers, distributed throughout the network at respective network-based server locations and each configured for providing a specified service, a selected server for providing the specified service for a client device at a network-based client location. The selection resource selects the selected server based on the corresponding server location relative to the client location, and causes a request having been generated by the client device to be sent to the selected server. Hence, the selection resource optimizes client-server interactions in a distributed computing network, based on the client location and the server location.

Claims

1. A network comprising:

a client machine at a network-based client location within an identifiable network topology of the network and configured for outputting a request for a specified service, the client machine comprising a selection resource configured for execution by the client machine; and

server machines distributed throughout the network at respective network-based server locations within the identifiable network topology and each configured for providing the specified service;

wherein the selection resource in the client machine is configured for selecting a selected server machine from among the server machines, based on at least one of;

the selection resource determining that the corresponding server location of the selected server machine has a minimum distance to the client location based on the selection resource accessing a network topology map obtained via the network and identifying the server locations and the client location, or

the selection resource determining that the client machine has a same subnet prefix as the selected server in respective IP addresses used by the client machine and the selected server machine,

the selection resource causing the request to be sent by the client machine to the selected server machine for providing the specified service to the client machine.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the selection resource is configured for calculating the selected server machine has the minimum distance based on:

accessing the network topology map, identifying the server locations and the client location, for calculation of network distance in the identifiable network topology; and

determining the server location of the selected server machine has a minimum network distance to the client location, relative to the respective server locations of the server machines, and based on a determined availability of the selected server machine.

3. The network of claim 1, wherein the specified service is for any one of a file service, a web service, a message transfer service, or a media stream service.

4. The network of claim 1, further comprising an access router configured for connecting the client machine to the network and sending to the client machine the selection resource, the client machine configured for executing the selection resource in response to reception thereof from the access router, the selection resource executed by the client machine configured for selecting the selected server machine based on obtaining the respective server locations of the server machines from the access router.

5. The network of claim 4, wherein the selection resource executed by the client machine is configured for receiving from the access router the network topology map for calculation of network distance in the identifiable network topology, the selection resource executed by the client machine configured for selecting the selected server machine based on the corresponding server location having a minimum network distance to the client location, among the respective server locations of the server machines, and based on a determined availability of the selected server machine.

6. The network of claim 4, wherein the access router is configured for supplying to the client machine a subnet prefix list specifying the respective IP addresses used by the server machines, enabling the selection resource to determine the selected server machine having the same subnet prefix as the client machine.

7. The network of claim 1, wherein:

the network-based client location of the client machine is identified based on a corresponding network topology-based coordinate in the identifiable network topology;

the corresponding network-based server location of each of the server machines is based on the corresponding network topology-based coordinate in the identifiable network topology;

the selection resource executed in the client machine configured for determining, for each of the server machines, a corresponding network distance between the client machine the corresponding server machine based on comparing the respective network topology-based coordinates.

8. A method in a network, the method comprising:

generating a request for a specified service by a client machine located at a network-based client location within an identifiable network topology of the network, the network comprising a plurality of server machines;

selecting by the client machine one server machine from among the plurality of server machines, the plurality of server machines distributed throughout the network at respective network-based server locations within the identifiable network topology and each configured for providing the specified service, the selecting by the client machine based on at least one of;

the client machine determining that the server location of the one server machine has a minimum distance to the client location based on the client machine accessing a network topology map obtained via the network and identifying the server locations and the client location, or

the client machine determining that the client machine has a same subnet prefix as the one server machine in respective IP addresses used by the client machine and the one server machine; and

causing the client machine to reach the one server machine for the specified service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selecting includes:

determining the server location of the one server machine has a minimum network distance to the client location, among the respective server locations of the server machines, and determining the one server machine has a determined availability.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the specified service is for any one of a file service, a web service, a message transfer service, or a media stream service.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the network includes an access router configured for connecting the client machine to the network;

the method further includes sending by the access router to the client machine a selection resource configured for execution by the client machine;

the identifying, selecting, and causing is performed by the client machine based on initiating execution of the selection resource by the client machine in response to reception thereof from the access router;

the selecting including obtaining, by the client machine, the respective server locations of the server machines from the access router.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the obtaining by the client machine includes receiving from the access router the network topology map for calculation of network distance in the identifiable network topology, the selecting further including selecting the one server machine based on the corresponding server location having a minimum network distance to the client location, relative to the respective server locations of others of the server machines, and based on a determined availability of the one server machine.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the access router supplying to the client machine a subnet prefix list specifying the respective IP addresses used by the plurality of server machines, enabling the client machine to determine the selected server machine having the same subnet prefix as the client machine.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the network-based client location of the client machine is identified based on a corresponding network topology-based coordinate in the identifiable network topology;

the corresponding network-based server location of each of the plurality of server machines is based on the corresponding network topology-based coordinate in the identifiable network topology;

the selecting including the client machine determining, for each of the plurality of server machines, a corresponding network distance between the client machine the corresponding server machine based on comparing the respective network topology-based coordinates.