Apparatus, method and system for improving application performance across a communication network

• US 8,291,110 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cimpress Schweiz GmbH (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: VistaPrint Limited (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Pishevar, Shervin, Bloch, Lewis, Morris, Drew, Savarese, Daniel F., Walsh, Kevin Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US12/772,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 709238-244, 709223-224, 709/250, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/238
• 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 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

An apparatus, method and system to enable dynamic replication of Web servers across a wide area in response to access patterns by Web clients as well as in response to customer requests. The method for dynamically replicating one or more parent nodes on a network in response to a user request by a policy manager. The policy manager transmits the user request to an event module. The event module transmits the user request to a data consistency module, wherein the data consistency module maintains integrity of the data on the parent node. The event system communicates with a resource management module to ensure proper utilization of network resources, and transmits the routing request to a request routing module for appropriately balancing the network load. The request routing module is capable of providing optimal routing based on the network resources.

Claims

1. A method of initiating a replication event on a computer network, comprising:

receiving a user request message for creation of a new application node;

determining the fixed resource requirements for all existing applications on the network;

parsing the user request message;

comparing the user request to a current setting for the user;

comparing the parsed user request to a resource usage list for determining availability of adequate resources for the new application node;

determining a fixed resource requirement;

creating an installation bill of materials for the new application node being added;

generating a user account;

copying files for the application in the installation bill of materials;

obtaining local replacement for tokens used in the installation bill of materials; and

reconfiguring files for the new application node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the installation bill of materials comprises:

determining an appropriate directory for installation;

obtaining the machine specifics;

parsing the file type;

noting and replacing machine specific entries in the application bill of materials with tokens; and

appending custom entries to the existing installation bill of materials.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user request for turning on an existing application node that is off, and acting on said user request by turning on said existing application node that is off.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user request for turning off an existing application node that is on, and acting on said user request by turning off said existing application node that is on.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user request for changing the priority levels of an existing application, and changing the priority level of said existing application in response thereto.

6. A method for deleting an existing application node on a computer network, comprising:

obtaining a user request message for deletion of an existing application node;

parsing the user request message;

comparing the user request to a current setting for the user;

determining whether a process is running on the existing application node;

forcing an update in a data consistency module of the data to be deleted from the existing application node;

reporting unavailability of the existing application node being deleted;

deleting application files from the application node; and

reporting unavailability of data from the application node being deleted to all modules in the network.

7. A system for initiating a replication event on a computer network, comprising:

an application replicator server coupled to the computer network and including a processor operative for executing machine-readable instructions;

a memory storing machine-readable instructions; and

an application replication module comprising machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, perform the method of;

(a) receiving a user request message for creation of a new application node;

(b) determining the fixed resource requirements for all existing applications on the network;

(c) parsing the user request message;

(d) comparing the user request to a current setting for the user;

(e) comparing the parsed user request to a resource usage list for determining availability of adequate resources for the new application node;

(f) determining a fixed resource requirement;

(g) creating an installation bill of materials for the new application node being added;

(h) generating a user account;

(i) copying files for the application in the installation bill of materials;

(j) obtaining local replacement for tokens used in the installation bill of materials; and

(k) reconfiguring files for the new application node.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein creating the installation bill of materials comprises:

determining an appropriate directory for installation;

obtaining the machine specifics;

parsing the file type;

noting and replacing machine specific entries in the application bill of materials with tokens; and

appending custom entries to the existing installation bill of materials.

9. A system for deleting an existing application node on a computer network, comprising:

an application replicator server coupled to the computer network and including a processor operative for executing machine-readable instructions;

a memory storing machine-readable instructions; and

an application replication module comprising machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, perform the method of;

(a) obtaining a user request message for deletion of an existing application node;

(b) parsing the user request message;

(c) comparing the user request to a current setting for the user;

(d) determining whether a process is running on the existing application node;

(e) forcing an update in a data consistency module of the data to be deleted from the existing application node;

(f) reporting unavailability of the existing application node being deleted;

(g) deleting application files from the application node; and

(h) reporting unavailability of data from the application node being deleted to all modules in the network.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising receiving a user request for turning on an existing application node that is off, and acting on said user request by turning on said existing application node that is off.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising receiving a user request for turning off an existing application node that is on, and acting on said user request by turning off said existing application node that is on.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising receiving a user request for changing the priority levels of an existing application, and changing the priority level of said existing application in response thereto.

13. A non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed on a computer processor, perform steps for initiating a replication event on a computer network, comprising:

receiving a user request message for creation of a new application node;

determining the fixed resource requirements for all existing applications on the network;

parsing the user request message;

comparing the user request to a current setting for the user;

comparing the parsed user request to a resource usage list for determining availability of adequate resources for the new application node;

determining a fixed resource requirement;

creating an installation bill of materials for the new application node being added;

generating a user account;

copying files for the application in the installation bill of materials;

obtaining local replacement for tokens used in the installation bill of materials; and

reconfiguring files for the new application node.

14. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein creating the installation bill of materials comprises:

determining an appropriate directory for installation;

obtaining the machine specifics;

parsing the file type;

noting and replacing machine specific entries in the application bill of materials with tokens; and

appending custom entries to the existing installation bill of materials.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed on a computer processor, perform steps for deleting an existing application node on a computer network, comprising:

obtaining a user request message for deletion of an existing application node;

parsing the user request message;

comparing the user request to a current setting for the user;

determining whether a process is running on the existing application node;

forcing an update in a data consistency module of the data to be deleted from the existing application node;

reporting unavailability of the existing application node being deleted;

deleting application files from the application node; and

reporting unavailability of data from the application node being deleted to all modules in the network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving a user request for turning on an existing application node that is off, and acting on said user request by turning on said existing application node that is off

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving a user request for turning off an existing application node that is on, and acting on said user request by turning off said existing application node that is on.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving a user request for changing the priority levels of an existing application, and changing the priority level of said existing application in response thereto.