Load balancing secure FTP connections among multiple FTP servers

• US 9,021,099 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Ko, Yao
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US13/565,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

System and method for load balancing multiple file transfer protocol (FTP) servers to service secure FTP sessions having encrypted signals are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the system include multiple FTP servers coupled to a load balancing agent. Each of the multiple FTP servers is associated with a unique port range and the load balancer receives an encrypted data signal in a secure FTP session on a given port and uses a port range within which the given port falls to identify which of the multiple FTP servers a corresponding control signal of the secure FTP session was previously sent.

Claims

1. A system for load balancing multiple file transfer protocol (FTP) servers to service FTP requests, the system, comprising:

a load balancing agent;

multiple FTP servers coupled to the load balancing agent, which identifies an FTP server from the multiple FTP servers to which to send a first signal of an FTP request;

wherein, in response to the first signal, the FTP server, allocates a port within a port range and identifies the port as being available for use in connecting with a second signal of the FTP request;

wherein, the FTP servers provide access to a cloud-based collaboration service, wherein the cloud-based collaboration service includes a file sharing and storage environment residing on the multiple FTP servers that host the cloud-based collaboration service, and wherein the multiple FTP servers use a distinct access request processor to access the file sharing and storage environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, the load balancing agent receives the second signal of the FTP request specifying the port and uses the port range within which a port number of the port falls to identify the FTP server to which to send the second signal of the FTP request.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein, the port range is uniquely associated with the FTP server, and wherein, each of the multiple FTP servers is associated with its own unique port range.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, the first and second signals of the FTP request are encrypted.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, the first signal includes a control connection of the FTP request which utilizes a first TCP port and the second signal includes a data connection of the FTP request which utilizes a second TCP port.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein, the second signal is connected to the specific port allocated by the FTP server to complete the FTP request to the FTP server among the multiple FTP servers.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein, the load balancing agent is associated with a virtual IP address for use in load balancing requests from multiple FTP clients among the multiple FTP servers.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising, a heartbeat component coupled to the load balancing agent to determine health status of the multiple FTP servers.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein, one or more of the multiple FTP clients are used for a collaborative environment deployed at a client site.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein, the multiple FTP servers provide access to a web-accessible or web-based collaboration environment.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein, a second FTP server of the multiple FTP servers identifies an available port within a different port range in response to receiving another FTP connection different from the load balancing agent.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, the second FTP server specifies the other port number associated with the available port to the load balancing agent.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein, the load balancing agent receives a second signal of the other FTP connection on the other port number for the available port and determines the different port range within which the other port number falls.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, the different port range is used by the load balancing agent to identify the second FTP server to which to send the second signal of the other FTP connection.

15. A method for load balancing multiple file transfer protocol (FTP) servers to service FTP requests, the method, comprising:

identifying an FTP server from multiple FTP servers to which to send a first signal of an FTP request;

wherein, in response to the first signal, a port within a port range is allocated and identified as being available for use in connecting with a second signal of the FTP request;

wherein, the multiple FTP servers provide access to a cloud-based collaboration service, wherein the cloud-based collaboration service includes a file sharing and storage environment residing on the multiple FTP servers that host the cloud-based collaboration service, and

wherein the multiple FTP servers use a distinct access request processor to access the file sharing and storage environment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, the multiple FTP servers are coupled to a load balancing agent.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, the second signal is connected to the specific port allocated by the FTP server to complete the FTP request to the FTP server among the multiple FTP servers.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein, the load balancing agent is associated with a virtual IP address for use in load balancing requests from multiple FTP clients among the multiple FTP servers.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining health status of the multiple FTP servers by a heartbeat component coupled to the load balancing agent.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein, one or more of the multiple FTP clients are used for a collaborative environment deployed at a client site.

21. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium encoded with instructions which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to perform a method for load balancing multiple file transfer protocol (FTP) servers to service FTP requests, comprising:

instructions for identifying an FTP server from multiple FTP servers to which to send a first signal of an FTP request;

instructions for allocating a port within a port range and instructions for identifying the port as being available for use in connecting with a second signal of the FTP request, in response to the first signal;

instructions for providing access to a cloud-based collaboration service via the multiple FTP servers,

wherein the cloud-based collaboration service includes a file sharing and storage environment residing on the multiple FTP servers that host the cloud-based collaboration service, and

wherein the multiple FTP servers use a distinct access request processor to access the file sharing and storage environment.