Bypassing routing stacks using mobile internet protocol

• US 7,886,076 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2005
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brabson, Roy F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz; Asad M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Survillo; Oleg
• Application Number:
  US11/033,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,218 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• 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: H04W 8/082 for traffic bypassing of mobility servers, e.g. location registers, home PLMNs or home agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for load balancing using Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) Version 6 are provided. A request for a connection is received from a client at a routing stack. A Mobile IP Version 6 Binding Update message is transmitted from the routing stack to the client responsive to the received request. The Binding Update message identifies a selected target stack so as to allow the client to communicate directly with the target stack bypassing the routing stack.

Claims

1. A method of load balancing using Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) Version 6, comprising:

receiving, from a client, a request for a connection at a routing stack;

transmitting, from the routing stack, the request for the connection to the selected target stack;

receiving, at the routing stack, notification from the target stack that the connection request has been accepted by the target stack;

updating a routing table at the routing stack, wherein updating includes updating the routing table at the routing stack to indicate that the target stack has accepted the connection request responsive to the received notification;

transmitting, from the routing stack, a Mobile IP Version 6 Home Test Init message to the client, the Home Test Init message including a request that the client return a Mobile IP Version 6 Home Test message to the routing stack;

receiving the Home Test message at the routing stack from the client responsive to the transmitted Home Test Init message;

transmitting, from the routing stack or the target stack, a Mobile IP Version 6 Care-of Test Init message to the client for the target stack, a source IP address of the Care-of Test Init message being set to the IP address of the target stack;

receiving, at the target stack, a Care-of Test message from the client responsive to the Care-of Test Init message, wherein the Care-of Test message includes a mobility header indicating that a copy of the Care-of Test message should be forwarded to the routing stack;

transmitting, from the target stack, the copy of the Care-of Test message to the routing stack;

establishing, at the client, the connection between the client, the routing stack and the target stack so as to allow direct communication between the client and the target stack;

transmitting, from the client, to the routing stack an indication that the connection has been established;

receiving the transmitted indication at the routing stack;

forwarding the transmitted indication to the target stack;

transmitting, from the routing stack, a Mobile IP Version 6 Binding Update message to the client responsive to the received request, the Binding Update message identifying the selected target stack so as to allow the client to communicate directly with the target stack, bypassing the routing stack;

wherein transmitting the Binding Update message comprises transmitting the Binding Update message to the client once both the Care-of Test message and the Home Test message have been received at the routing stack;

wherein the method is implemented using z/OS Version 1 Revision 6;

wherein the Binding Update message comprises a home address of the connection as an internet protocol address associated with the routing stack and a care-of address of the connection as an IP address associated with the target stack so as to allow the client to create a binding cache entry that maps the IP address associated with the routing stack to the IP address associated with the target stack;

wherein the IP address associated with the routing stack comprises a virtual IP address (VIPA);

wherein said transmitting is preceded by enabling Mobile IP Version 6 optimizations on the VIPA;

creating, at the client, the binding cache entry that maps the home address to the care-of address so as to allow direct communication between the client and the target stack;

transmitting, from the client, a binding acknowledgment directly to the target stack bypassing the routing stack;

receiving, at the routing stack, a copy of the binding acknowledgment from the target stack;

updating a routing table associated with the routing stack to include state information; and

transmitting a binding information request to the target stack including the state information so as to allow the target stack to update a routing table associated with the target stack;

wherein the Binding Update message comprises a first Binding Update message, and the method further comprising;

receiving, from the routing stack, a second Binding Update message at the client, the second Binding Update message indicating that the established connection should be terminated; and

deleting the binding cache entry associated with the connection at the client responsive to second Binding Update message;

receiving, at the routing stack, mobile IP version 6 messages from the target stack so as to allow the routing stack to maintain the routing table associated with the routing stack that is substantially similar to the routing table associated with the target stack;

receiving, at the routing stack, a notification of a new connection request at the target stack from the client; and

copying, at the routing stack, Binding Update message information associated with the connection from the routing table associated with the routing stack;

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving, at the routing stack, a notification of a new connection request at the client from the target stack;

determining, at the routing stack, if an entry for the new connection exists in the routing table;

copying Binding Update message information associated with the existing connection from the routing table if it is determined that the entry exists;

transmitting, from the routing stack, a third Binding Update message to the client if it is determined that the entry does not exist, the third Binding Update message identifying a second selected target stack for the new connection so as to allow the client to communicate directly with the second selected target stack bypassing the routing stack; and

transmitting, from the client, a binding refresh request to the target stack, the binding refresh request including a request to send another Binding Update message from the target stack;

wherein the method further comprises;

detecting, at the routing stack, a problem with the target stack;

deleting the binding cache entry at the client responsive to the detected problem; and

transmitting, from the routing stack, a fourth Binding Update message to the client, the fourth Binding Update message indicating that the care-of address and the home address should both be set to the VIPA so as to delete the binding cache entry at the client and to allow direct communication between the client and the routing stack.