Method and system for selecting a computing device for maintaining a client session in response to a request packet

• US 8,341,290 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cloudrock LLC (Slingshot Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Noatak Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Berg, Mitchell T.
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US11/513,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,308 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709227-229, 709236-245
• 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 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing

Abstract

A server farm for processing client requests comprising a first server having a first processor and a first network interface controller communicatively coupled to the first processor, and a second server comprising a second processor and communicatively coupled to the first server, wherein the first network interface controller is configured to maintain a state table associated with at least the first server and the second server and respond to receipt of a request packet from a client by, initiating by the first processor execution of a software application associated with the request packet when the state table corresponds to a first state, and selectively forwarding the request packet to the second server when the state table corresponds to a second state.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising a first server, the first server including:

a main processor configured to execute one or more server applications; and

an intelligent network interface controller comprising a network processor and a memory;

wherein the network processor of the intelligent network interface controller is configured to;

store state information in the memory of the intelligent network interface controller from at least the first server and a second server;

in response to receiving a first request packet associated with a first connection from a client, select one of the first server and the second server for maintaining a session with the client based at least in part on the stored state information;

store an association between a session identifier and the selected server in the memory of the intelligent network interface controller;

output the association to at least the second server;

output a response packet to the client, the response packet having a header portion and a data portion, wherein the header portion includes at least one header, and wherein the data portion includes the session identifier;

receive a second request packet associated with a second connection originating from the client and including the session identifier;

determine the server selected to maintain the session using the session identifier and the stored association; and

;

in response to determining that the first server is the server selected to maintain the session, process the second request packet with the main processor of the first server; and

in response to determining that the second server is the server selected to maintain the session, forward the second request packet to the second server;

wherein the network processor of the intelligent network interface controller is further configured to handle requests from clients referencing a single session that is associated with multiple connections.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the state information represents a synchronized state of at least the first server and the second server, session.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the session is an HTTP.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent network interface controller is configured to receive a request packet through a network.

5. A method of handling requests from clients referencing a single session that is associated with multiple connections, the method performed by a network processor of an intelligent network interface controller of a first server of an information processing system, the method comprising:

storing state information from at least the first server and a second server in a memory of the intelligent network interface controller;

in response to receiving a first request packet associated with a first connection from a client, selecting one of the first server and the second server for maintaining a session with the client based at least in part on the stored state information;

storing an association between a session identifier and the selected server in the memory of the intelligent network interface controller;

outputting the association to at least the second server;

outputting a response packet to the client, the response packet having a header portion and a data portion, the header portion including at least one header, and the data portion including the session identifier;

receiving a second request packet associated with a second connection from the client and including the session identifier;

determining the server selected to maintain the session using the session identifier and the stored association; and

;

in response to determining that the first server is the server selected to maintain the session, providing the second request packet for processing by an application executed by a main processor of the first server; and

in response to determining that the second server is the server selected to maintain the session, forwarding the second request packet to the second server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the state information represents a synchronized state of at least the first server and the second server.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the session is an HTTP session.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the intelligent network interface controller is configured to receive a request packet through a network.

9. A computer-readable memory medium containing computer-executable instructions stored thereon, execution of which by a network processor of an intelligent network interface controller of a first server of an information processing system causes the intelligent network interface controller to perform operations in handling requests from clients referencing a single session that is associated with multiple connections, the operations comprising:

storing state information from at least the first server and a second server in a memory of the intelligent network interface controller;

in response to receiving a first request packet associated with a first connection from a client, selecting one of the first server and the second server for maintaining a session with the client based at least in part on the stored state information;

storing an association between a session identifier and the selected server in the memory of the intelligent network interface controller;

outputting the association to at least the second server;

outputting a response packet to the client, the response packet having a header portion and a data portion, wherein the header portion includes at least one header and the data portion includes the session identifier;

receiving a second request packet associated with a second connection from the client and including the session identifier;

determining the server selected to maintain the session using the session identifier and the stored association; and

;

in response to determining that the first server is the server selected to maintain the session, providing the second request packet for processing by an application executed by a main processor of the first server; and

in response to determining that the second server is the server selected to maintain the session, forwarding the second request packet to the second server.

10. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the state information represents a synchronized state of at least the first server and the second server.

11. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the session is an HTTP session.

12. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein a request packet is received by the intelligent network interface controller through a network.

13. The computer-readable memory medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable memory medium comprises a memory in a server.

14. An intelligent network interface controller, comprising:

a memory; and

a network processor configured to;

store state information in the memory from at least a first server and a second server, the first server hosting the intelligent network interface controller and comprising a main processor;

in response to receiving a first request packet from a client, select one of the first server and the second server for maintaining a session with the client based at least in part on the stored state information;

store, in the memory, an association between a session identifier and the selected server;

output the association to at least the second server;

output a response packet to the client, the response packet having a header portion and a data portion, wherein the header portion includes at least one header, and the data portion includes the session identifier;

receive a second request packet associated with a second connection originating from the client and including the session identifier;

determine the server selected to maintain the session using the session identifier and the stored association; and

;

in response to determining that the first server is the server selected to maintain the session, provide the second request packet for processing by the main processor of the first server; and

in response to determining that the second server is the server selected to maintain the session, forward the second request packet to the second server;

wherein the intelligent network interface controller is further configured to handle requests from clients referencing a single session that is associated with multiple connections.