Automated load balancing architecture

• US 8,073,934 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhong, Nan, Thomas, Christopher C., Balakrishnan, Venkates P., Doddameti, Sandesh A., Chatterjee, Preetha, Ackermann, Erik, Vaswani, Ameet N., Mehta, Vikas, Coleman, Paul L. IV
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US12/458,082
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220, 709/242
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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

Systems and methods provide automated provisioning of load balancing. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method configures an access point. A request to create the access point may be received and data for the access point may be stored in a data store. The method may invoke a workflow engine. The workflow engine may assign the access point to a load balancer, configure the load balancer, assign a network address to the load balancer, and publish the network address for a plurality of clients.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for configuring an access point, comprising:

receiving a request to create the access point;

storing data for the access point in a data store;

invoking a workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine;

assigns the access point to a load balancer;

configures the load balancer;

assigns a network address to the load balancer; and

publishes the network address for a plurality of clients.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data stored for the access point in the data store comprises an access point identifier and an identifier of an entity associated with the access point.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein assigning the access point to the load balancer comprises:

assigning an instance identifier to the load balancer; and

storing the access point identifier with the instance identifier.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein configuring the load balancer comprises:

assigning a public port of the load balancer to open; and

assigning the load balancer to perform layer 4 or layer 7 load balancing.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein publishing the network address for the plurality of clients comprises transmitting the network address to a DNS server, the DNS server storing the network address in a DNS record.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network address is a private IP address that is used as an intermediate address for the access point.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the load balancer with a failure detection server.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering endpoints for the access point, wherein registering endpoints for the access point comprises;

receiving a request to register endpoints for the access point;

storing data for the endpoints; and

invoking the workflow engine, the workflow engine configuring the load balancer with the endpoints.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the data for the endpoints comprises endpoint identifiers.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein configuring the load balancer with the endpoints comprises:

storing, by the load balancer, network addresses of the endpoints.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request to create an access point;

invoking a workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine;

assigns the access point to a load balancer;

configures the load balancer;

assigns a network address to the load balancer; and

causes the network address to be published;

receiving a packet, the packet comprising the network address for the access point;

selecting, by the load balancer, an endpoint; and

transmitting the packet to the selected endpoint.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

resolving a private network address for the network address; and

transmitting the packet to a load balancer having the private network address.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the packet is for a service.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

processing the packet;

creating a reply; and

transmitting the reply to a client.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the endpoint comprises a separate server.

16. A system for configuring an access point, the system comprising:

an API server implemented in a computing device, the API server configured to;

receive a request to create the access point; and

store data for the access point in a data store; and

a workflow server configured to;

assign the access point to a load balancer;

configure the load balancer;

assign a network address to the load balancer; and

send the network address to a computing system configured to publish the network address.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

an application server, the application server configured to store the data for the access point in the data store.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of endpoints, wherein the workflow server is further operable to:

receive a request to register the plurality of endpoints with the access point;

store data for the endpoints;

configure the load balancer with the plurality of endpoints.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein configuring the load balancer with the plurality of end points comprises:

assigning a public port of the load balancer to open; and

assigning the load balancer to perform layer 4 or layer 7 load balancing.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein sending the network address to the computer system comprises transmitting the network address to a DNS server, the DNS server storing the network address in a DNS record.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the network address is a private IP address that is used as an intermediate address for the access point.

22. A system comprising:

a server configured to;

receive, in the server, a request to create an access point;

store, in the server, data for the access point in a data store; and

a workflow server configured to;

assign the access point to a load balancer;

configure the load balancer;

assign a network address to the load balancer; and

transmit the network address to a computer system configured to publish network addresses;

the server being further configured to;

receive, from a client, a routing request, the routing request comprising the network address for the access point; and

the load balancer configured to;

select an endpoint; and

transmit the request to the selected endpoint.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the server is further configured to:

resolve a private network address for the network address; and

transmit the routing request to the private network address.