Distributed high availability processing methods for service sessions

• US 9,961,130 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Kamat, Gurudeep, Sankar, Swaminathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheema, Umar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mekonen, Tesfu N
• Application Number:
  US14/261,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/12 Replacement control
• 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 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• 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

Provided are methods and systems for processing a data packet associated with a service session. The data packet directed to a first servicing node can be received by a forwarding node. The forwarding node can determine that the first servicing node is unavailable. Based on the determination, the forwarding node can select a second servicing node from a plurality of servicing nodes. The selection can be based on a high availability policy. The forwarding node can then send the data packet to the second servicing node.

Claims

1. A method for processing a data packet associated with a service session, the method comprising:

receiving, by a forwarding node, the data packet directed to a first servicing node of a plurality of servicing nodes;

sending, by the forwarding node, the data packet to the first servicing node;

based on the data packet, creating, by the first servicing node, a first session entry associated with the service session associated with the data packet and processing, by the first servicing node, the data packet;

sending, by the first servicing node, information associated with the first session entry to a second servicing node, the second servicing node being selected by the first servicing node based on a high availability (HA) policy received by the first servicing node from a network controller being communicatively coupled to the plurality of servicing nodes;

based on the information associated with the first session entry, creating, by the second servicing node, a second session entry associated with the service session;

receiving, by the forwarding node, a further data packet directed to the first servicing node, the further data packet being associated with the service session;

getting, by the forwarding node, a notification from the network controller that the first servicing node is unavailable;

in response to the getting, selecting, by the forwarding node, the second servicing node from the plurality of servicing nodes, the selecting of the second servicing node being based on the HA policy received by the forwarding node from the network controller;

sending, by the forwarding node, the further data packet to the second servicing node; and

processing, by the second servicing node, the further data packet of the service session based on information stored in the second session entry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the HA policy includes a client HA policy.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the further data packet by the second servicing node;

determining, by the second servicing node, that the further data packet includes a service request;

selecting, by the second servicing node, a server operable to serve the service session; and

sending, by the second servicing node, the further data packet to the server, the server being associated with a server network address,

wherein the sending the further data packet to the server includes sending the data packet to a third servicing node, the third servicing node being associated with the server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server is selected by the second servicing node based on a service policy.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

associating, by the second servicing node, the second session entry with a network address translation (NAT) address, wherein the second service session includes a client service session; and

establishing, by the second servicing node, based on the NAT address, a further service session, wherein the further service session includes a server service session.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

extracting, by the second servicing node, at least one of a client network address and a service address from the further data packet; and

storing, by the second servicing node, the client network address and the service address in the second session entry.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the second servicing node, from the server, the data packet;

processing the data packet by the second servicing node to obtain a processed data packet;

retrieving, by the second servicing node, the client network address from the second session entry; and

sending, by the second servicing node, the processed data packet to a client device, the client device being associated with the client network address.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the first servicing node, the HA policy, the HA policy including an indication to the second servicing node;

updating, by the first servicing node, the first session entry to obtain an updated session entry; and

sending, by the first servicing node, the updated session entry to the second servicing node.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the forwarding node, an availability indication from the second servicing node.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

processing, by the forwarding node, the data packet using applications, the applications including deep packet inspection, account and billing, virus detection, and intrusion detection.

10. A system for processing a data packet associated with a service session, the system comprising a processor with memory, the processor executing:

a plurality of servicing nodes;

a first servicing node being configured to;

based on the data packet, create a first session entry associated with the service session associated with the data packet and process the data packet;

send information associated with the first session entry to a second servicing node, the second servicing node being selected by the first servicing node based on a high availability (HA) policy received by the first servicing node from a network controller being communicatively coupled to the plurality of servicing nodes;

the second servicing node being configured to;

based on the information associated with the first session entry, create a second session entry associated with the service session;

process a further data packet of the service session based on information stored in the second session entry;

the network controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of servicing nodes; and

a forwarding node, the forwarding node being operable to;

receive the data packet directed to the first servicing node of the plurality of servicing nodes;

receive the further data packet directed to the first servicing node, the further data packet being associated with the service session;

get a notification from the network controller that the first servicing node is unavailable;

in response to the getting, select the second servicing node from the plurality of servicing nodes, the selecting of the second servicing node being based on the HA policy received by the forwarding node from the network controller; and

send the further data packet to the second servicing node.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the HA policy includes a client HA policy.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second servicing node is operable to:

receive the further data packet;

determine that the further data packet includes a service request;

select a server, the server being operable to serve the service session; and

send the further data packet to the server, the server being associated with a server network address,

wherein the sending the further data packet to the server includes sending the further data packet to a third servicing node, the third servicing node being associated with the server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server is selected by the second servicing node based on a service policy.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the second servicing node is further operable to:

associate the session entry with a network address translation (NAT) address, wherein the second service session includes a client service session; and

establish, based on the NAT address, a further service session, wherein the further service session includes a server service session.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second servicing node is further operable to:

extract at least one of a client network address and a service address from the further data packet; and

store the client network address and the service address in the second session entry.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second servicing node is further operable to:

receive, from the server, the data packet;

process the data packet to obtain a processed data packet;

retrieve the client network address from the second session entry; and

send the processed data packet to a client device, the client device being associated with the client network address.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the first servicing node is further operable to:

receive the HA policy, the HA policy including an indication to the second servicing node;

update the first session entry to obtain the updated session entry; and

send the updated session entry to the second servicing node.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the forwarding node is further operable to:

receive an availability indication from the second servicing node.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for processing a data packet associated with a service session, the method comprising:

receiving, by a forwarding node, the data packet directed to a first servicing node of a plurality of servicing nodes;

sending, by the forwarding node, the data packet to the first servicing node;

based on the data packet, creating, by the first servicing node, a first session entry associated with the service session associated with the data packet and processing, by the first servicing node, the data packet

sending, by the first servicing node, information associated with the first session entry to a second servicing node, the second servicing node being selected by the first servicing node based on a high availability (HA) policy received by the first servicing node from a network controller being communicatively coupled to the plurality of servicing nodes;

based on the information associated with the first session entry, creating, by the second servicing node, a second session entry associated with the service session;

receiving, by the forwarding node, a further data packet directed to the first servicing node, the further data packet being associated with the service session;

getting, by the forwarding node, a notification from the network controller that the first servicing node is unavailable;

in response to the getting, selecting, by the forwarding node, the second servicing node from the plurality of servicing nodes, the selecting of the second servicing node being based on the HA policy received by the forwarding node from the network controller; and

sending, by the forwarding node, the further data packet to the second servicing node; and

processing, by the second servicing node, the further data packet of the service session based on information stored in the second session entry.