Load distribution system, and event processing distribution control apparatus, and an event processing distribution control program

• US 7,856,634 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Isoyama, Kazuhiko, Satou, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Greta L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong; Dennis
• Application Number:
  US11/389,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/636, 709/223, 709/226, 709/238, 709/241, 709/244, 718/105, 710 15- 19, 711133-136, 715/804, 715/805
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• 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: 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 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

In a load distribution system, a plurality of processing servers are installed and a context-dependent distributor is arranged in a stage before the processing servers such that a distribution rule is set to the distributor to appropriately distribute an event to an associated processing server, the event being necessary for the server to execute a processing rule set thereto. To achieve the processing distribution in a system of this type, a plurality of processing servers are disposed and an event processing distribution control unit sets event processing rules to the respective processing servers for individual applications. The distribution controller sets a distribution rule associated with context of an event to a distributor so that the event is distributed to an associated server beforehand designated to process the event. This makes it possible to accomplish load distribution for the processing servers.

Claims

1. A load distribution system, comprising:

a plurality of processing servers for notifying a result of processing of an event to a plurality of applications;

context-dependent distributing section for distributing events occurring in terminals to the plural processing servers,

wherein the context-dependent distributing section distributes an event based on content of the event as a context of the event; and

event processing distribution control section for individually setting processing rules to the plural processing servers and setting a distribution rule to the context-dependent distributing section, the distributing section thereby appropriately distributing events required to execute the processing rules,

the event processing distribution control section setting the processing rule of the event processing required by an application to the associated processing server, the processing rule including an event condition specifying content of an event associated with an operation for the event, each of the processing rules set in the associated processing servers being different respectively,

the event processing distribution control section setting a distribution rule to the context-dependent distributing section, the distribution rule including content of an event associated with information showing the processing server which has the processing rule including an event condition specifying the content of the event, the event including the content being distributed to the associated processing server according to the distribution rule,

wherein the plurality of processing servers, context-dependent distributing section, and event processing distribution control section are implemented by a processor.

2. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising context-independent distributing section for randomly distributing events occurring in the terminals to the context-dependent distributing section,

the context-independent distributing section distributing the events to the context-dependent distributing section without referring to context of the events.

3. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the terminals includes a distribution rule set by the event processing distribution control section, the terminal distributing events occurring therein to the processing servers according to the distribution rule.

4. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 1, comprising a plurality of units of the context-independent distributing section of which at least one context-independent distributing section conducting event distribution to distribute events,

the context-independent distributing section mutually confirming failure of each other,

the context-independent distributing section conducting the event distribution being replaced, if failure is detected therein, by another context-independent distributing section.

5. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 1, comprising a plurality of units of the context-dependent distributing section,

the context-dependent distributing section mutually confirming failure of each other.

6. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 5, wherein by notifying confirmation of failure to context-independent distributing section, the context-independent distributing section do not distribute an event to the context-dependent distributing section in which failure has occurred.

7. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the event processing distribution control section includes processing rule distribution recording section for recording, for each of the processing servers, an event condition contained at least in the processing rule among those distributed as above,

the event processing distribution control section referring to the processing rule distribution recording section at reception of a new processing rule, and assigning the new processing rule to one of the processing servers which is assigned with processing rules and of which the number of processing rules is within a predetermined range relative to a minimum value of the numbers of the processing rules respectively assigned to the processing servers, the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule.

8. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 7, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers matches the event condition of the new processing rule, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

9. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 7, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of the event condition of the new processing rule matches an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

10. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising weight coefficients for each of the processing rules, wherein the event processing distribution control section includes processing rule distribution recording section for recording, for each of the processing servers, an event condition contained at least in the processing rule among those distributed above,

the event processing distribution control section referring to the processing rule distribution recording section at reception of a new processing rule, and assigning the new processing rule to one of the processing servers which is assigned with processing rules and of which a sum of the weight coefficient is within a predetermined range relative to a minimum value of the sums of the weight coefficients of the numbers of the processing rules respectively assigned to the processing servers, the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule.

11. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 10, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers matches the event condition of the new processing rule, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

12. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 11, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of the event condition of the new processing rule matches an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

25. The load distribution system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a plurality of terminals which generate events.

13. An event processing distribution control apparatus for use in a load distribution system comprising a plurality of processing servers for notifying a result of processing of an event to a plurality of applications and context-dependent distributing section for distributing events occurring in terminals to the plural processing servers, the control apparatus distributing a processing rule received from an application to a processing server, comprising

processing rule distribution recording section for recording, for each of the processing servers, an event condition contained at least in the processing rule among those distributed as above, the processing rule including the event condition specifying content of an event associated with an operation for the event, each of the processing rules set in the associated processing servers being different respectively,

wherein the control apparatus sets a distribution rule to the context-dependent distributing section, the distribution rule including content of an event associated with information showing the processing server which has the processing rule including an event condition specifying the content of the event, the event including the content being distributed to the associated processing server according to the distribution rule,

wherein the control apparatus referring to the processing rule distribution recording section at reception of a new processing rule, and assigning the new processing rule to one of the processing servers which is assigned with processing rules and of which the number of processing rules is within a predetermined range relative to a minimum value of the numbers of the processing rules respectively assigned to the processing servers, the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule,

wherein the context-dependent distributing section distributes an event based on content of the event as a context of the event, and

wherein the processing distribution recording section is implemented by a processor.

14. The event processing distribution control apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers matches the event condition of the new processing rule, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

15. The event processing distribution control apparatus in accordance with claim 13, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of the event condition of the new processing rule matches an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

16. An event processing distribution control apparatus for use in a load distribution system comprising a plurality of processing servers for notifying a result of processing of an event to a plurality of applications and context-dependent distributing section for distributing events occurring in terminals to the plural processing servers, the control apparatus distributing a processing rule received from an application to a processing server, comprising:

weight coefficients for each of the processing rules; and

processing rule distribution recording section for recording, for each of the processing servers, an event condition contained at least in the processing rule among those distributed above, the processing rule including the event condition specifying content of an event associated with an operation for the event, each of the processing rules set in the associated processing servers being different respectively,

wherein the control apparatus sets a distribution rule to the context-dependent distributing section, the distribution rule including content of an event associated with information showing the processing server servers which has the processing rule including an event condition specifying the content of the event, the event including the content being distributed to the associated processing server according to the distribution rule,

wherein the control apparatus referring to the processing rule distribution recording section at reception of a new processing rule, and assigning the new processing rule to one of the processing servers which is assigned with processing rules and of which a sum of the weight coefficient is within a predetermined range relative to a minimum value of the sums of the weight coefficients of the numbers of the processing rules respectively assigned to the processing servers, the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule,

wherein the context-dependent distributing section distributes an event based on content of the event as a context of the event and

wherein the processing rule distribution recording section is implemented by a processor.

17. The event processing distribution control apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers matches the event condition of the new processing rule, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

18. The event processing distribution control apparatus in accordance with claim 16, wherein in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of the event condition of the new processing rule matches an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers, the new processing rule is assigned to the particular processing server.

19. An event processing distribution control program, implemented on a computer readable medium, for use in a load distribution system comprising a plurality of processing servers for notifying a result of processing of an event to a plurality of applications and context-dependent distributing section for distributing events occurring in terminals to the plural processing servers, the control program distributing a processing rule received from an application to a processing server, comprising the steps of:

recording by processing rule distribution recording section, for each of the processing servers, an event condition contained at least in the processing rule among those distributed as above, the processing rule including the event condition specifying content of an event associated with an operation for the event, each of the processing rules set in the associated processing servers being different respectively;

setting, by event processing distribution control section, a distribution rule to the context-dependent distributing section, the distribution rule including content of an event associated with information showing the processing server which has the processing rule including an event condition specifying the content of the event, the event including the content being distributed to the associated processing server according to the distribution rule; and

referring by the event processing distribution control section to the processing rule distribution recording section at reception of a new processing rule, and assigning the new processing rule to one of the processing servers which is assigned with processing rules and of which the number of processing rules is within a predetermined range relative to a minimum value of the numbers of the processing rules respectively assigned to the processing servers, the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule,

wherein the context-dependent distributing section distributes an event based on content of the event as a context of the event.

20. The event processing distribution control program in accordance with claim 19, further comprising the step of, in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers matches the event condition of the new processing rule, assigning the new processing rule to the particular processing server.

21. The event processing distribution control program in accordance with claim 19, further comprising the step of, in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of the event condition of the new processing rule matches an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers, assigning the new processing rule to the particular processing server.

22. An event processing distribution control program, implemented on a computer readable medium, for use in a load distribution system comprising a plurality of processing servers for notifying a result of processing of an event to a plurality of applications and context-dependent distributing section for distributing events occurring in terminals to the plural processing servers, the control program distributing a processing rule received from an application to a processing server, comprising the steps of:

disposing weight coefficients for each of the processing rules;

recording by processing rule distribution recording section, for each of the processing servers, an event condition contained at least in the processing rule among those distributed above, the processing rule including the event condition specifying content of an event associated with an operation for the event, each of the processing rules set in the associated processing servers being different respectively;

setting, by event processing distribution control section, a distribution rule to the context-dependent distributing section, the distribution rule including content of an event associated with information showing the processing server which has the processing rule including an event condition specifying the content of the event, the event including the content being distributed to the associated processing server according to the distribution rule; and

referring by the event processing distribution control section to the processing rule distribution recording section at reception of a new processing rule, and assigning the new processing rule to one of the processing servers which is assigned with processing rules and of which a sum of the weight coefficient is within a predetermined range relative to a minimum value of the sums of the weight coefficients of the numbers of the processing rules respectively assigned to the processing servers, the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule,

wherein the context-dependent distributing section distributes an event based on content of the event as a context of the event.

23. The event processing distribution control program in accordance with claim 22, further comprising the step of, in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers matches the event condition of the new processing rule, assigning the new processing rule to the particular processing server.

24. The event processing distribution control program in accordance with claim 22, further comprising the step of, in the absence of the processing server having an event condition substantially equal to an event condition of the new processing rule, if part of the event condition of the new processing rule matches an event condition beforehand assigned to a particular one of the processing servers, assigning the new processing rule to the particular processing server.