Techniques for remapping content requests

• US 8,250,175 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ma, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US11/497,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20080040306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709/238, 709218-219
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Techniques for routing content requests are provided. In one embodiment, a first device at a network device sends a request from a first device at a first site for content to a second device at a second site. The second device determines if the request should be redirected to a third device in a third site. For example, a content server in the second site may decide that a request is better serviced by a third site. This may be because the third site may be closer to the first site, the second site may be overloaded or down, etc. If the request should be redirected, the second device determines a rule for sending further requests for the content to the third site. Signaling is then sent to the network device such that the rule may be installed where further requests for the content are sent to the third site. The further requests are sent to the third site without going through the second site. Accordingly, the requests are more efficiently routed to the third site instead of having to go through the second site and being redirected to the third site.

Claims

1. A method for redirecting requests, the method comprising:

receiving a request for content at a second device in a second site, the request received from a first device at a first site through a network device;

determining a site in a plurality of sites and a device in a plurality of devices at the site to service the request and further requests for content from the first device, wherein a third device in a third site is determined;

determining, by the second device, a rule including information indicating that further requests for the content are to be sent to the third device in the third site;

determining if the network device includes a reusable rule; and

responsive to determining that the network device includes a reusable rule;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule, and

sending the changes to the network device allowing the network device to change the reusable rule with the changes, such that further requests for the content are sent to the third device in the third site without going through the second site when the further requests satisfy the changed reusable rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a path using the rule, the path configured to direct the request to the third site without going through the second site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the path comprises a label switched path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule comprises a 5-tuple.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the network device does not include a reusable rule;

sending signaling for the rule to the network device, wherein the rule is installed such that further requests for the content are sent to the third device in the third site without going through the second site when the further requests satisfy the rule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the network device includes a reusable rule further comprises:

determining if the network device includes a rule that is not in use.

7. The method of claim 1, the network device comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the second device comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the further requests comprise a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

10. A method for redirecting requests, the method comprising:

sending, at a network device, a first request for content received from a first device at a first site to a second device in a second site;

receiving, from the second device in the second site, a rule for sending further requests for the content to a third site, the third site determined by the second device as a site to service the request and further requests for content from the first device;

determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

responsive to determining that the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule, and

changing the reusable rule at the network device using the changes in the rule;

receiving a second request for the content;

determining if the second request matches the rule; and

responsive to determining that the second request matches the rule;

sending the second request for the content to the third site based on the rule without going through the second site.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a path using the rule, the path directing the request to the third site without going through the second site.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the path comprises a label switched path.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the rule does not include changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

installing the rule at the network device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device further comprises:

determining if the network device includes a rule that is not in use.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the network device comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the second device comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

17. The method of claim 10, if the second request does not match the rule, sending the second request for the content to the second site.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the second request comprises a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

19. An apparatus configured to facilitate redirecting of requests, the apparatus comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to perform a set of steps comprising;

receiving a request for content at the apparatus in a second site, the request received from a first device at a first site through a network device;

determining a site in a plurality of sites and a device in a plurality of devices at the site to service the request and further requests for content from the first device, wherein a third device in a third site is determined;

determining, by the one or more computer processors, a rule including information indicating that further requests for the content are to be sent to the third device in the third site;

determining if the network device includes a reusable rule; and

responsive to determining that the network device includes a reusable rule;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule, and

sending the changes to the network device allowing the network device to change the reusable rule with the changes, such that further requests for the content are sent to the third device in the third site without going through the second site when the further requests satisfy the changed reusable rule.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computer processors to perform a further step comprising:

determining a path using the rule, the path configured to direct the request to the third site without going through the second site.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the rule does not include changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

installing the rule at the network device.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device further comprises:

determining if the network device includes a rule that is not in use.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the rule is determined to be reusable when it is not in use.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the network device comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the apparatus comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the further requests comprise a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

27. A network device configured to facilitate the redirecting of requests, the network device comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to perform a set of steps comprising;

sending, by the network device, a first request for content received from a first device at a first site to a second device in a second site;

receiving, from the second device in the second site, a rule for sending further requests for the content to a third site, the third site determined by the second device as a site to service the request and further requests for content from the first device;

determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

responsive to determining that the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule, and

changing the reusable rule at the network device using the changes in the rule;

receiving a second request for the content;

determining if the second request matches the rule; and

responsive to determining that the second request matches the rule;

sending the second request for the content to the third site based on the rule without going through the second site.

28. The network device of claim 27, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computer processors to perform a further step comprising:

determining a path using the rule, the path directing the request to the third site without going through the second site.

29. The network device of claim 28, wherein the path comprises a label switched path.

30. The network device of claim 27, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computer processors to perform further steps comprising:

responsive to determining that the rule does not include changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

installing the rule at the network device.

31. The network device of claim 27, wherein determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device further comprises:

determining if the network device includes a rule that is not in use.

32. The network device of claim 27, wherein the apparatus comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the second device comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

33. The network device of claim 27, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

34. The network device of claim 27, if the second request does not match the rule, wherein the instructions cause the one or more computer processors to send the second request for the content to the second site.

35. The network device of claim 27, wherein the second request comprises a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

36. An apparatus configured to redirect requests, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for content at the apparatus in a second site, the request received from a first device at a first site through a network device;

means for determining a site in a plurality of sites and a device in a plurality of devices at the site to service the request and further requests for content from the first device, wherein a third device in a third site is determined;

means for determining, by the apparatus, a rule including information indicating that further requests for the content are to be sent to the third device in the third site;

means for determining if the network device includes a reusable rule; and

means for, responsive to determining that the network device includes a reusable rule;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule, and

sending the changes to the network device allowing the network device to change the reusable rule with the changes, such that further requests for the content are sent to the third device in the third site without going through the second site when the further requests satisfy the changed reusable rule.

37. A network device configured to redirect requests, the network device comprising:

means for sending, by the network device, a first request for content received from a first device at a first site to a second device in a second site;

means for receiving, from the second device in the second site, a rule for sending further requests for the content to a third site, the third site determined by the second device as a site to service the request and further requests for content from the first device;

means determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

responsive to determining that the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule, and

changing the reusable rule at the network device using the changes in the rule;

means for receiving a second request for the content;

means for determining if the second request matches the rule; and

means for, responsive to determining that the second request matches the rule, sending the second request for the content to the third site based on the rule without going through the second site.