Method for load balancing of requests' processing of diameter servers

• US 9,356,998 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ridel, Leonid, Tumarkin, Valentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUDA, ADAM K
• Application Number:
  US14/531,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/271, 370/270, 370/260
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/215 using token-bucket
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/741 Holding a request until resources become available
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1025 Dynamic adaptation of the criteria on which the server selection is based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

A system, computer readable medium and method of load balancing of requests between Diameter-enabled network devices is disclosed. Processing occurs at a signal controller in communication with a first Diameter-enabled network device and a second Diameter-enabled network device, request handling capacity of at least the second Diameter-enabled network device. One or more tokens are allocated for inbound requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device to the second Diameter-enabled network device. The second Diameter-enabled network device is notified of the one or more allocated tokens for handling a corresponding number of requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device. Transmission of the corresponding number of requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device to the second Diameter-enabled network device is coordinated by the signal controller.

Claims

1. A method of load balancing of requests between Diameter-enabled network devices, the method comprising:

processing, by a signal controller device in communication between at least a first Diameter-enabled network device and a second Diameter-enabled network device, a request for a handling capacity of at least the second Diameter-enabled network device;

allocating, by the signal controller device, one or more tokens for inbound requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device to the second Diameter-enabled network device;

notifying, by the signal controller device, the second Diameter-enabled network device when at least one of the one or more tokens are allocated for handling a corresponding number of requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device; and

coordinating, by the signal controller device, transmission of the corresponding number of requests from the first Diameter-enabled network device to the second Diameter-enabled network device.

2. A method for load balancing requests between Diameter-enabled network devices, executable by the one or more signal controller devices with at least one processor executing the method, the method comprising steps to:

process a request for a handling capacity of a first Diameter-enabled network device;

allocate one or more tokens for inbound requests from a second Diameter-enabled network device to the first Diameter-enabled network device;

notify the first Diameter-enabled network device when at least one of the one or more tokens are allocated for handling a corresponding number of requests from the second Diameter-enabled network device; and

coordinate transmission of the corresponding number of requests from the second Diameter-enabled network device to the first Diameter-enabled network device.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth processors are the same processor.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein two or more of the first, second, third, or fourth processors are on a same one of the one or more signal controller devices.

5. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, third or fourth processors on the one or more signal controller devices to prioritize token allocation between the first and second Diameter-enabled network devices.

6. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the request handling capacity comprises a current or a projected capacity of the first Diameter-enabled network device.

7. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, third or fourth processors on the one or more signal controller devices to allocate the one or more tokens at a refill rate based on a current or a projected capacity of the first Diameter-enabled network device.

8. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the allocated tokens are available for a predetermined period of time.

9. The method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising employing at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth processors on the one or more signal controller devices to determine when an overload condition has occurred in the first Diameter-enabled network device, wherein no further requests are sent to the first Diameter-enabled network device when the determining indicates that the overload condition has occurred in the first Diameter-enabled network device.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for load balancing requests between Diameter-enabled network devices, comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

processing a request for a handling capacity of a first Diameter-enabled network device;

allocating one or more tokens for inbound requests from a second Diameter-enabled network device to the first Diameter-enabled network device;

notifying the first Diameter-enabled network device when at least one of the one or more tokens are allocated for handling a corresponding number of requests from the second Diameter-enabled network device; and

coordinating transmission of the corresponding number of requests from the second Diameter-enabled network device to the first Diameter-enabled network device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 10, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform one or more additional steps comprising prioritizing token allocation between the first and second Diameter-enabled network devices.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 10, wherein the request handling capacity comprises a current or a projected capacity of the first Diameter-enabled network device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 10, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform one or more additional steps comprising allocating the one or more tokens at a refill rate based on a current or a projected capacity of the first Diameter-enabled network device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 10, wherein the allocated tokens are available for a predetermined period of time.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium as set forth in claim 10, further having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform one or more additional steps comprising determining when an overload condition has occurred in the first Diameter-enabled network device, wherein no further requests are sent to the first Diameter-enabled network device when the determining indicates that the overload condition has occurred in the first Diameter-enabled network device.

16. One or more signal controller devices, comprising memory comprising programmed instructions stored in the memory and one or more processors configured to execute the programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

process a request for a handling capacity of a first Diameter-enabled network device;

allocate one or more tokens for inbound requests from a second Diameter-enabled network device to the first Diameter-enabled network device;

notify the first Diameter-enabled network device when at least one of the one or more tokens are allocated for handling a corresponding number of requests from the second Diameter-enabled network device; and

coordinate transmission of the corresponding number of requests from the second Diameter-enabled network device to the first Diameter-enabled network device.

17. The one or more signal controller devices as set forth in claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the programmed instructions stored in the memory to prioritize token allocation between the first and second Diameter-enabled network devices.

18. The one or more signal controller devices as set forth in claim 16, wherein the request handling capacity comprises a current or a projected capacity of the first Diameter-enabled network device.

19. The one or more signal controller devices as set forth in claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the programmed instructions stored in the memory to allocate the one or more tokens at a refill rate based on a current or a projected capacity of the first Diameter-enabled network device.

20. The one or more signal controller devices as set forth in claim 16, wherein the allocated tokens are available for a predetermined period of time.

21. The one or more signal controller devices as set forth in claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to be capable of executing the programmed instructions stored in the memory to determine when an overload condition has occurred in the first Diameter-enabled network device, wherein no further requests are sent to the first Diameter-enabled network device when the determining indicates that the overload condition has occurred in the first Diameter-enabled network device.