Routing of communications to one or more processors performing one or more services according to a load balancing function

• US 9,268,656 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2015
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aventail LLC
• Original Assignee: Dell Software, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Hopen, Chris A., Tomlinson, Gary B., Brooke, John, Brown, Derek W., Burdge, Jonathan, Erickson, Rodger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joo, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US14/624,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/121 by minimising delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• 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 67/1017 based on a round robin mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer

Abstract

Systems and methods for routing communications to a platform service are provided. A message including payload data is received. The information in the payload data of the message is examined in order to determine the type of message. The message is then relayed to an appropriate platform service based on the type of message. Some embodiments assign numbers to the packets that make up the message.

Claims

1. A network appliance comprising:

a memory;

a processor, wherein the processor executing instructions out of memory determines that the network appliance is designated as a primary load balancer;

a first communication interface, wherein the first communication interface is dedicated to receiving communications from and transmitting communications to one or more other network appliances, the first communication interface receives configuration information, the configuration information received by the network appliance corresponds to a common configuration shared by the network appliance and the one or more other network appliances, and the first communication interface transmits status information to the one or more other network appliances and receives status information from the one or more other network appliances;

a second communication interface; and

a third communication interface, wherein a message is transmitted over the first communication indicating that a failure has been detected by the network appliance and includes a resignation message that is transmitted to the one or more other network appliances, wherein the resignation message indicates that the network appliance resigns as the primary load balancer.

2. The network appliance of claim 1, wherein the failure is response from a first electronic device over the second communication interface to a message transmitted over the second communication interface to the first electronic device.

3. The network appliance of claim 1, wherein the failure is detected by the network appliance when the network appliance does not receive a response from a second electronic device over the third communication interface to a message transmitted over the second communication interface to the second electronic device.

4. The network appliance of claim 1, wherein the first communication interface is an Ethernet network interface.

5. A method for performing a load balancing service, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information over a first communication interface at a network appliance, wherein the network appliance is designated as a primary load balancer, and the first communication interface is dedicated to receiving communications from and transmitting communications to one or more other network appliances;

transmitting a first request over a second communication interface to a first electronic device;

transmitting a second request over a third communication interface to a second electronic device;

determining that a failure has occurred when at least one of a response to the first request is not received over the second communication interface, and a response to the second request is not received over the third communication interface; and

transmitting a resignation message to the one or more other network appliances over the first communication interface, wherein the resignation message indicates that the network appliance resigns as the primary load balancer.

6. The method claim 5, wherein prior to resigning as the primary load balancer, the network appliance responds to communications addressing a virtual internet protocol (IP) address associated with the primary load balancer, and after resigning as the primary load balancer, the network appliance does not respond to communications addressing the virtual IP address of the primary load balancer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuration information received by the network appliance corresponds to a common configuration shared by the one or more other network appliances.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first communication transmits status information to the one or more other network appliances, and receives status information from the one or more other network appliances.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first electronic device is a first computer network switch.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the second electronic device is a second computer network switch.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for performing a load balancing service, the method comprising:

receiving configuration information over a first communication interface at a network appliance, wherein the network appliance is designated as a primary load balancer, and the first communication interface is dedicated to receiving communications from and transmitting communications to one or more other network appliances;

transmitting a first request over a second communication interface to a first electronic device;

transmitting a second request over a third communication interface to a second electronic device;

determining that a failure has occurred when at least one of a response to the first request is not received over the second communication interface, and a response to the second request is not received over the third communication interface; and

transmitting a resignation message to the one or more other network appliances over the first communication interface, wherein the resignation message indicates that the network appliance resigns as the primary load balancer.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium claim 11, wherein prior to resigning as the primary load balancer, the network appliance responds to communications addressing a virtual internet protocol (IP) address associated with the primary load balancer, and after resigning as the primary load balancer, the network appliance does not respond to communications addressing the virtual IP address of the primary load balancer.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the configuration information received by the network appliance corresponds to a common configuration shared by the one or more other network appliances.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first communication transmits status information to the one or more other network appliances, and receives status information from the one or more other network appliances.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first electronic device is a first computer network switch.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the second electronic device is a second computer network switch.