Monitoring server load balancing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A network monitoring device, comprising:
- an ingress port configured to receive network packets, wherein the received network packets are copies of network traffic;
a plurality of egress ports, each associated with one of a plurality of monitoring servers; and
a packet classifier coupled to the ingress port;
wherein a plurality of monitoring groups are configured for the network monitoring device, each monitoring group from the plurality of monitoring groups including one or more monitoring servers from the plurality of monitoring servers, wherein each monitoring group from the plurality of monitoring groups is associated with a networking protocol; and
wherein the packet classifier is configured to;
determine that a plurality of network packets from among the received network packets is associated with a particular network protocol;
determine, based upon the particular network protocol, a particular monitoring group from the plurality of monitoring groups; and
distribute the plurality of network packets between multiple monitoring servers associated with the particular monitoring group, wherein the distributing includes, for each particular network packet from the plurality of network packets;
selecting a monitoring server from the multiple monitoring servers based on information included in a header of the particular network packet; and
forwarding the particular network packet from the network monitoring device using an egress port from the plurality of egress ports that is associated with the selected monitoring server.
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Abstract
Embodiments described herein discuss an approach to implementing load-balancing across multiple monitoring servers. One such embodiment describes a network monitoring device. The network monitoring device includes an ingress port, for receiving mirrored network packets, and a number of egress ports. The egress ports are associated with a number of monitoring servers, and used to forward the mirrored network packets to the monitoring servers. A packet classifier, coupled to the ingress port, examines the mirrored network packets, and determines which of the monitoring servers should receive the packets.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A network monitoring device, comprising:
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an ingress port configured to receive network packets, wherein the received network packets are copies of network traffic; a plurality of egress ports, each associated with one of a plurality of monitoring servers; and a packet classifier coupled to the ingress port; wherein a plurality of monitoring groups are configured for the network monitoring device, each monitoring group from the plurality of monitoring groups including one or more monitoring servers from the plurality of monitoring servers, wherein each monitoring group from the plurality of monitoring groups is associated with a networking protocol; and wherein the packet classifier is configured to; determine that a plurality of network packets from among the received network packets is associated with a particular network protocol; determine, based upon the particular network protocol, a particular monitoring group from the plurality of monitoring groups; and distribute the plurality of network packets between multiple monitoring servers associated with the particular monitoring group, wherein the distributing includes, for each particular network packet from the plurality of network packets; selecting a monitoring server from the multiple monitoring servers based on information included in a header of the particular network packet; and forwarding the particular network packet from the network monitoring device using an egress port from the plurality of egress ports that is associated with the selected monitoring server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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determining that each network packet in a plurality of network packets received at an ingress port of a network monitoring device is associated with a particular network protocol, wherein the plurality of network packets are copies of network traffic; determining, based upon the particular network protocol, a particular monitoring group from a plurality of monitoring groups configured for the network monitoring device, the plurality of monitoring groups including one or more monitoring servers from a plurality of monitoring servers, the plurality of monitoring servers each being associated with one of a plurality of egress ports included in the network monitoring device, wherein each monitoring group from the plurality of monitoring groups is associated with a network protocol; and distributing the plurality of network packets between multiple monitoring servers associated with the particular monitoring group, wherein the distributing includes, for each particular network packet from the plurality of network packets; selecting a monitoring server from the multiple monitoring servers based on information included in a header of the particular network packet; and forwarding the particular network packet from the network monitoring device using an egress port from the plurality of egress ports that is associated with the selected monitoring server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of computer-executable instructions executable by one or more processors, the plurality of instructions comprising:
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instructions causing at least one processor from the one or more processors to determine that a plurality of network packets received at an ingress port of a network monitoring device is associated with a particular network protocol, wherein the received network packets are copies of network traffic; instructions causing at least one processor from the one or more processors to determine, based upon the particular network protocol, a particular monitoring group from a plurality of monitoring groups configured for the network monitoring device, the plurality of monitoring groups including one or more monitoring servers from a plurality of monitoring servers, the plurality of monitoring servers each being associated with one of a plurality of egress ports included in the network monitoring device, wherein each monitoring group form the plurality of monitoring groups is associated with a network protocol; and instructions causing at least one processor from the one or more processors to distribute the plurality of network packets between multiple monitoring servers associated with the particular monitoring group, wherein the distributing includes, for each particular network packet from the plurality of network packets; selecting a monitoring server from the multiple monitoring servers based on information included in a header of the particular network packet; and forwarding the particular network packet from the network monitoring device using an egress port from the plurality of egress ports that is associated with the determined selected monitoring server.
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Specification