System and/or method for client-driven server load distribution

• US 8,069,251 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaufman, Matthew, Thornburgh, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): HOANG, HIEU T
• Application Number:
  US11/757,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20080301219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/201, 709/202, 709/240, 709/241
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 67/101 based on network conditions

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to communication between a client and a server in a communications network. In one particular example, a server is selected from a plurality of servers to provide a resource and/or a service to a client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting an initiation message from a client to a plurality of servers over a network concurrently to request for a resource or a service, wherein said initiation message includes a tag identifying said initiation message;

identifying at least one response message received from at least one server of said plurality of servers based at least in part on said tag identifying said initiation message in response to said initiation message transmitted to said plurality of servers, said at least one response message including said tag and a cookie generated by said at least one server, said cookie containing session negotiation information for establishing a session with said at least one server;

determining a responsiveness of each of said at least one server;

selecting at least one server of said at least one server to provide said resource or said service based, at least in part, on said responsiveness of each of said at least one server;

establishing said session with said selected at least one server to provide said resource or said service to said client, by transmitting a session initiation message to said selected at least one server, said session initiation message comprising said cookie;

wherein said selecting comprises selecting a server that sends an earliest response message to said initiation message and discarding reference to said tag upon receiving of said earliest response message at said client, wherein a subsequent response message including said tag received in response to said initiation message is not identified as a valid response message to said initiation message; and

wherein said transmitting said initiation message comprises concurrently transmitting a plurality of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams addressed to socket addresses of said plurality of servers, said UDP datagrams comprising said initiation message.

2. An article comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon which, in response to being executed by a computing platform, direct said computing platform to;

initiate transmission of an initiation message from a client to a plurality of servers over a network concurrently to request for a resource or a service, wherein said initiation message includes a tag identifying said initiation message;

identify at least one response message received from at least one server of said plurality of servers based at least in part on said tag identifying said initiation message in response to said initiation message transmitted to said plurality of servers, said at least one response message including said tag and a cookie generated by said at least one server, said cookie containing session negotiation information for establishing a session with said at least one server;

determine a responsiveness of each of said at least one server;

select at least one server of said at least one server to provide said resource or said service based, at least in part, on said responsiveness of each of said at least one server;

establish said session with said selected at least one server to provide said resource or said service to said client, by transmitting a session initiation message to said selected at least one server, said session initiation message comprising said cookie;

wherein said instructions to select said at least one server direct said computing platform to select a server that sends an earliest response message to said initiation message and discard reference to said tag upon receiving of said earliest response message at said client, wherein, such that a subsequent response message including said tag received in response to said initiation message is not identified as a valid response message to said initiation message; and

wherein said instructions to initiate said transmission of said initiation message direct said computing platform to initiate concurrent transmission of a plurality of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams addressed to socket addresses of said plurality of servers, said UDP datagrams comprising said initiation message.

3. A computing platform, said computing platform comprising:

a communication adapter to transmit and receive information from a network; and

a processing system coupled to said communication adapter, said processing system including a central processing unit being programmed with instructions to;

transmit an initiation message from a client through said communication adapter to a plurality of servers over said network concurrently to request for a resource or a service, wherein said initiation message includes a tag identifying said initiation message;

identify at least one response message received from said at least one server of said plurality of servers based at least in part on said tag identifying said initiation message in response to said initiation message transmitted to said plurality of servers, said at least one response message including said tag and a cookie generated by said at least one server, said cookie containing session negotiation information for establishing a session with said at least one server;

determine a responsiveness of each of said at least one server;

select at least one server of said at least one server to provide said resource or said service based, at least in part, on said responsiveness of each of said at least one server;

establish said session with said selected at least one server to provide said resource or said service to said client by transmitting a session initiation message through said communication adapter to said selected at least one server, said session initiation message comprising said cookie;

wherein said instructions to select said at least one server comprises selecting a server that sends an earliest response message to said initiation message and discarding reference to said tag upon receiving of said earliest response message at said client, wherein a subsequent response message including said tag received in response to said initiation message is not identified as a valid response message to said initiation message; and

wherein said instructions to transmit said initiation message comprises initiating concurrent transmission of a plurality of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) datagrams through said communication adapter and addressed to socket addresses of said plurality of servers, said UDP datagrams comprising said initiation message.