Persistence based on server response in an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS)
First Claim
1. A network device for managing communications over a network, comprising:
- a memory arranged to store data and instructions;
an input interface for receiving requests and sending responses; and
a processor arranged to enable actions embodied by at least a portion of the stored instructions, the actions comprising;
receiving each outbound packet from an application server within a plurality of application servers; and
when persistence information for a pre-existing communication session between the application server and the network device is absent from a table managed by the network device, performing actions, including;
performing a deep packet inspection at a layer four or above of the OSI reference model within one or more outbound packets to identify application layer data having a session identifier that uniquely identifies the communication session, wherein the session identifier is a pre-defined string of characters that is located anywhere within application layer data;
mapping the session identifier to an identifier of the application server as persistence information in the table; and
using the mapping in the table to persistently refer each subsequent inbound packet from a client device to the corresponding application server; and
employing a failure of the application server that is detected in the communication session to update the persistent information in the table to identify another application server that transparently assumes the role of the failed application server in the communication session with the network device.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments are directed towards managing persistence of network traffic using deep packet inspections of network response packets from an application server. In one embodiment, the network packets are associated with SIP messages. A traffic management device (TMD) interposed between client devices and a plurality of application servers receives messages from the client device and/or the application servers. The TMD performs a deep packet inspection to determine if a defined key value pair that includes a session identifier is detected. If so, and the message is from the application server, the session identifier is then mapped to an application server identifier to persistently refer each subsequent inbound packet from a client device having the same session identifier to the application server mapped to the session identifier.
283 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A network device for managing communications over a network, comprising:
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a memory arranged to store data and instructions; an input interface for receiving requests and sending responses; and a processor arranged to enable actions embodied by at least a portion of the stored instructions, the actions comprising; receiving each outbound packet from an application server within a plurality of application servers; and when persistence information for a pre-existing communication session between the application server and the network device is absent from a table managed by the network device, performing actions, including; performing a deep packet inspection at a layer four or above of the OSI reference model within one or more outbound packets to identify application layer data having a session identifier that uniquely identifies the communication session, wherein the session identifier is a pre-defined string of characters that is located anywhere within application layer data; mapping the session identifier to an identifier of the application server as persistence information in the table; and using the mapping in the table to persistently refer each subsequent inbound packet from a client device to the corresponding application server; and employing a failure of the application server that is detected in the communication session to update the persistent information in the table to identify another application server that transparently assumes the role of the failed application server in the communication session with the network device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having machine-executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processor for a traffic management device that is interposed between client devices and a plurality of application servers, causes the at least one processor to perform actions to manage communications over a network, the actions comprising:
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receiving a message from a client device; and when persistence information for a pre-existing communication session between the application server and the traffic management device is absent from a table managed by the traffic management device, performing actions, including; performing a deep packet inspection at a layer four or above of the OSI reference model within one or more outbound packets to identify application layer data having a session identifier that uniquely identifies the communication session, wherein the session identifier is a pre-defined string of characters that is located anywhere within application layer data; mapping the session identifier to an identifier of the application server as persistence information in the table; and using the mapping in the table to persistently refer each subsequent inbound packet from a client device to the corresponding application server; and employing a failure of the application server that is detected in the communication session, to update the persistent information in the table to identify another application server that transparently assumes the role of the failed application server in the communication session with the traffic management device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method executed on a traffic management device that is interposed between a plurality of client devices and a plurality of application servers, the method when executed enables the traffic management device to manage a request for a managing communications over a network, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of messages, from an application server, each message being directed to a different client device within the plurality of client devices; and when persistence information for a pre-existing communication session between the application server and the traffic management device is absent from a table managed by the traffic management device, performing actions, including; performing a deep packet inspection at a layer four or above of the OSI reference model within one or more outbound packets to identify application layer data having a session identifier that uniquely identifies the communication session, wherein the session identifier is a pre-defined string of characters that is located anywhere within application layer data; mapping the session identifier to an identifier of the application server as persistence information in the table; and using the mapping in the table to persistently refer each subsequent inbound packet from a client device to the corresponding application server; and employing a failure of the application server that is detected in the communication session to update the persistent information in the table to identify another application server that transparently assumes the role of the failed application server in the communication session with the traffic management device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for managing communications over a network, comprising:
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a plurality of application servers; and a traffic management device that is interposed between the plurality of application servers and client devices, and is configured and arranged to perform actions, including; causing each message from an application server within the plurality of application servers to be received by the traffic management device; and when persistence information for a pre-existing communication session between the application server and the traffic management device is absent from a table managed by the traffic management device, performing actions, including; performing a deep packet inspection at a layer four or above of the OSI reference model within one or more outbound packets to identify application layer data having a session identifier that uniquely identifies the communication session, wherein the session identifier is a pre-defined string of characters that is located anywhere within application layer data; mapping the session identifier to an identifier of the application server as persistence information in the table; and using the mapping in the table to persistently refer each subsequent inbound packet from a client device to the corresponding application server; and employing a failure of the application server that is detected in the communication session to update the persistent information in the table to identify another application server that transparently assumes the role of the failed application server in the communication session with the traffic management device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification