Distributing application traffic to servers based on dynamic service response time

• US 9,961,136 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Jalan, Rajkumar, Szeto, Ronald Wai Lun, Xu, Feilong
• Primary Examiner(s): RECEK, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US15/460,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20170187793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2475 for supporting traffic characterised by the type of applications
• 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 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A service gateway processes a service request received from a host based on a dynamic service response time of a server. In an exemplary embodiment, the service gateway relays a service request to a server over a service session between the service gateway and the server; receives a service response from the server; calculates a dynamic service processing time for the service request from a service request time and a service response time; compares the dynamic service processing time with an expected service processing time; updates a server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing, where the server busy indicator is maintained at the service gateway; and processes future service requests in accordance with the server busy indicator at the service gateway.

Claims

1. A method for distributing application traffic received by a service gateway from a host to a server of a plurality of servers based on dynamic service response time of the server, the method comprising:

receiving a first service request for a service session from the host by the service gateway, the first service request having a service request time;

relaying the first service request from the service gateway to a first server of the plurality of servers, the relaying occurring over the service session between the service gateway and the first server;

receiving by the service gateway a service response from the first server, the service response having a service response time;

calculating by the service gateway a dynamic service processing time for the first service request from the service request time and the service response time;

comparing the dynamic service processing time with an expected service processing time for the first server to determine whether the dynamic service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least a threshold amount, wherein the expected service processing time is based at least in part on a service attribute of the first service request or a service attribute of the first server;

wherein the expected service processing time is determined by the service gateway and stored in a datastore together with an associated service attribute of a service request or service attribute of a server, the service gateway determining the expected service processing time by;

comparing the first service request or the first server with the service attribute in the datastore; and

if the first service request or the first server matches the service attribute in the datastore, retrieving the expected service processing time associated with the matching service attribute from the datastore, wherein the expected service processing time is variable based on the matching service attribute;

updating a server busy indicator for the first server in response to the comparing, wherein a server busy indicator for each of the plurality of servers is maintained at the service gateway;

receiving a second service request from the host by the service gateway;

checking the server busy indicator for the first server by the service gateway;

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the first server is busy, placing the second service request in a service request buffer of the service gateway and maintaining a connection to the host; and

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the first server is not busy, relaying the second service request from the service gateway to the first server over the service session between the service gateway and the first server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating the server busy indicator for the first server comprises:

in response to determining that the dynamic service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, updating the server busy indicator by the service gateway to indicate that the first server is busy; and

in response to determining that the dynamic service processing time does not exceed the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, updating the server busy indicator by the service gateway to indicate that the first server is not busy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calculating by the service gateway the dynamic service processing time for the first service request comprises:

calculating by the service gateway the dynamic service processing time for the first service request as a duration between the service request time and the service response time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service response comprises an error indication, and the service gateway does not calculate the dynamic service processing time if the error indication indicates an error.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing further comprises:

calculating an adjusted expected service processing time based on the dynamic service processing times of previous service sessions between the service gateway and the first server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the relaying the second service request from the service gateway to the first server over the service session between the service gateway and the first server comprises:

checking if the service request buffer is empty by the service gateway;

in response to determining that the service request buffer is empty, relaying the second service request from the service gateway to the first server over the service session between the service gateway and the first server; and

in response to determining that the service request buffer is not empty, placing the second service request in the service request buffer by the service gateway.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second service request is associated with a priority, the service request buffer is configured to store service requests associated with the priority, and wherein the placing the second service request in the service request buffer of the service gateway further comprises:

relaying the second service request in the service request buffer from the service gateway to a second server according to the associated priority.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service attribute is one or more of a URL, a protocol, domain name, web folder name, or document type.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the expected service processing time is determined by the service gateway.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith for distributing application traffic received by a service gateway from a host to a server of a plurality of servers based on dynamic service response time of the server, the computer readable program code configured to:

receive a first service request for a service session from the host by the service gateway, the first service request having a service request time;

relay the first service request from the service gateway to a server of the plurality of servers, the relaying occurring over the service session between the service gateway and the server;

receive a service response from the server, the service response having a service response time;

calculate a dynamic service processing time for the first service request as a duration between the service request time and the service response time;

compare the dynamic service processing time with an expected service processing time to determine whether the dynamic service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least a threshold amount, wherein the expected service processing time is based at least in part on a service attribute of the first service request or a service attribute of the server;

wherein the expected service processing time is determined by the service gateway and stored in a datastore together with an associated service attribute of a service request or service attribute of the server, the service gateway determining the expected service processing time by;

comparing the first service request or the server with the service attribute in the datastore; and

if the first service request or the server matches the service attribute in the datastore, retrieving the expected service processing time associated with the matching service attribute from the datastore, wherein the expected service processing time is variable based on the matching service attribute;

update a server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing the dynamic service processing time with the expected service processing time, wherein the server busy indicator for the server is maintained at the service gateway;

receive a second service request from the host;

check the server busy indicator for the server;

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is busy, place the second service request in a service request buffer of the service gateway and maintain a connection to the host; and

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is not busy, relay the second service request from the service gateway to the server over the service session between the service gateway and the server.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code configured to update the server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing is further configured to:

in response to determining that the service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, update the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is busy; and

in response to determining that the service processing time does not exceed the expected service processing time by the threshold amount, update the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is not busy.

12. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code configured to compare the dynamic service processing time with the expected service processing time is further configured to:

calculate an adjusted expected service processing time based on the service processing times of previous service sessions between the service gateway and the server.

13. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code configured to relay the second service request from the service gateway to the server over the service session between the service gateway and the server in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is not busy is further configured to:

check to determine if the service request buffer is empty;

in response to determining that the service request buffer is empty, relay the second service request from the service gateway to the server over the service session between the service gateway and the server; and

in response to determining that the service request buffer is not empty, place the second service request in the service request buffer.

14. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program code configured to place the second service request in the service request buffer in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is busy is further configured to:

determine if a timer at the service gateway has expired, wherein the timer is determined by the service gateway according to a service attribute of the second service request or the server; and

in response to determining that the timer has expired, relay the second service request from the service gateway to the server over the service session between the service gateway and the server.

15. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the second service request is associated with a priority, wherein the service request buffer is configured to store service requests associated with the priority, wherein the computer readable program code configured to place the second service request in the service request buffer in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is busy is further configured to:

place the second service request in the service request buffer; and

relaying the service request in the service request buffer from the service gateway to the server according to the associated priority.

16. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the service attribute is one or more of a URL, a protocol, domain name, web folder name, or document type.

17. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein each service attribute has a different expected service processing time.

18. A system, comprising:

a server for processing service requests; and

a service gateway comprising a processor and a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein when the computer readable program code is executed by the processor, causes the service gateway to;

receive a first service request from a host for a service session, the service request having a service request time;

relay the first service request to a server over the service session between the service gateway and the server;

receive a service response from the server, the service response having a service response time;

calculate a dynamic service processing time for the first service request from the service request time and the service response time;

compare the dynamic service processing time with an expected service processing time to determine whether the dynamic service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least a threshold amount, wherein the expected service processing time is based at least in part on the service attribute and stored in a datastore;

wherein the expected service processing time is determined by the service gateway and stored in the datastore together with an associated service attribute of a service request or service attribute of the server, the service gateway determining the expected service processing time by;

comparing the first service request or the server with the service attribute in the datastore; and

if the first service request or the server matches the service attribute in the datastore, retrieving the expected service processing time associated with the matching service attribute from the datastore, wherein the expected service processing time is variable based on the matching service attribute;

update a server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing the dynamic service processing time with the expected service processing time wherein the server busy indicator for the server is maintained at the service gateway;

receive a second service request from the host;

check the server busy indicator for the server;

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is busy, place the second service request in a service request buffer of the service gateway and maintain a connection to the host; and

in response to determining that the server busy indicator indicates that the server is not busy, relay the second service request from the service gateway to the server over the service session between the service gateway and the server.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the update the server busy indicator for the server in response to the comparing comprises:

in response to determining that the dynamic service processing time exceeds the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, update the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is busy; and

in response to determining that the dynamic service processing time does not exceed the expected service processing time by at least the threshold amount, update the server busy indicator to indicate that the server is not busy.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the compare the service processing time with the expected service processing time comprises:

calculate an adjusted expected service processing time based on the service processing times of previous service sessions between the service gateway and the server.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the service attribute is one or more of a URL, a protocol, domain name, web folder name, or document type.