Systems and methods for weighted monitoring of network services

• US 8,116,207 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Schekochikhin, Arcady, Shetty, Anil, Verzunov, Sergey, Kamath, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Kevin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOUDHRY, SAMINA F
• Application Number:
  US11/466,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20080043617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.21, 709223-225, 709/217, 709/218, 709/238, 709/242, 709/244
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer

Abstract

A method for determining service availability using a plurality of weighted monitoring agents includes: establishing, by an appliance, a plurality of agents, the plurality of agents monitoring a service executing on a server, and each agent having an assigned weight; computing, by the appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational; determining, by the appliance, the sum falls below a given threshold; and transmitting, by the appliance, an indication that the service is unusable. Corresponding systems are also described.

Claims

1. A method for determining service availability using a plurality of weighted monitoring agents, the method comprising:

(a) establishing, by a first appliance intermediary to one or more servers and a plurality of clients, a plurality of agents, each agent of the plurality of agents established to monitor availability of a corresponding protocol of a service, each agent having an assigned weight;

(b) monitoring, by each agent of the plurality of agents executing on the first appliance, the service executing on the one or more servers, responses from the service to requests of a protocol specific to each agent;

(c) computing, by the first appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational;

(d) determining, by the first appliance, the sum falls below a given threshold;

(e) transmitting, by the first appliance, an indication that the service is unusable to a second appliance; and

(f) changing, by the second appliance, a number of requests for the service from the plurality of clients to forward to the first appliance based on the indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises establishing, by the first appliance, a plurality of agents, wherein at least one of the agents comprises an interpreted script.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c-a) receiving, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is operational; and

(c-b) computing, by the first appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c-a) receiving, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is not responding; and

(c-b) computing, by the first appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c-a) receiving, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service response time is below a given threshold; and

(c-b) computing, by the first appliance, a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the step of transmitting, by the first appliance to a client agent, an application routing table indicating that the service is unusable.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(e-a) receiving, from a client, a request identifying the service; and

(e-b) forwarding, by the first appliance, the request to a second service operating on a second server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(e-a) receiving, from a client, a request identifying the service;

(e-b) identifying, by the first appliance, an application associated with the service;

(e-c) identifying, by the first appliance, a second service associated with the application; and

(e-d) forwarding, by the first appliance, the request to a second service operating on a second server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the steps of:

(e-a) receiving, from a client, a request identifying the service;

(e-b) identifying, by the first appliance, an application associated with the service;

(e-c) identifying, by the first appliance, a second service associated with the application, wherein the second service executes on a second server; and

(e-d) forwarding, by the first appliance, the request to a second service operating on a second server.

10. A computer implemented system for determining service availability using a plurality of weighted monitoring agents:

a first network appliance, intermediary to one or more servers and a plurality of clients, which

establishes a plurality of agents that execute on the first network appliance, each agent of the plurality of agents established to monitor availability of a corresponding protocol of a service, each agent having an assigned weight, each agent of the plurality of agents monitoring the service executing on the one or more servers, responses from the service to requests of a protocol specific to each agent;

computes a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational; and

determines the sum falls below a given threshold; and

transmits an indication that the service is unusable to a second appliance;

wherein

the second network appliance changes a number of requests for the service from the plurality of clients to forward to the first network appliance based on the indication.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance establishes a plurality of agents that execute on the first network appliance, the plurality of agents monitoring a service executing on the one or more servers, wherein at least one of the agents comprises an interpreted script.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance receives, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is operational;

and computes a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance receives, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service is not responding;

and computes a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance receives, from at least one of the plurality of agents, an indication that the service response time is below a given threshold;

and computes a sum of the assigned weights of the agents reporting the service as currently operational.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance transmits, to a client agent, an application routing table indicating that the service is unusable.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance receives, from a client, a request identifying the service;

and forwards the request to a second service operating on a second server.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance receives, from a client, a request identifying the service;

identifies an application associated with the service;

identifies a second service associated with the application; and

forwards the request to a second service operating on a second server.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network appliance receives, from a client, a request identifying the service;

identifies an application associated with the service;

identifies a second service associated with the application, wherein the second service executes on a second server; and

forwards the request to a second service operating on a second server.

19. A method for determining availability of a service using a plurality of weighted monitoring agents, the method comprising:

(a) establishing, by a device intermediary to a plurality of clients and a service executing on one or more servers, a plurality of agents to monitor the service, each agent assigned a weight, each agent monitoring availability of a different protocol of the service;

(b) monitoring, by each agent, responses from the service to requests comprising a protocol specific to each agent; and

(c) determining, by the device, a sum of weights assigned to each agent reporting the service as operational falls below a given threshold hold.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising monitoring, by a first agent of the plurality of agents, responses from the service to requests of a first protocol of the first agent and monitoring, by second first agent of the plurality of agents, responses from the service to requests of a second protocol of the second agent.