Method and apparatus for equalizing load of streaming media server

• US RE44,918 E1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Deng, Xuelai
• Primary Examiner(s): MACILWINEN, JOHN MOORE JAIN
• Application Number:
  US13/458,321
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/231, 709/249
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

The invention deals with a method and apparatus of realizing load equalizing on the stream media server. The load equalizer is placed in front of the stream media server and the servers are trusted by the load equalizer. Each server has its private IP address, and the load equalizer is in charge of its exoteric IP address, which comprises the processing module of the client port, the processing module of the server port, and the main control module. The processing module of the client port is set to recognize and transfer the data from the client. The processing module of the server port is set to recognize and transfer the data from the server. The main control module orderly matches the data required to be processed further to determine which actual server will process the data, and to establish the list of the stream rules between the processing module of the client port and the processing module of the server port.

Claims

1. A method of equalizing load on stream media servers, wherein each server has its own private IP address, the method comprises the following steps of:

a processing module of a client port, comprised in a load equalizer which is disposed before the stream media servers which are trusted by the load equalizer, intercepting a TCP request from a client with a first-class stream rule of a the client port and forwarding the TCP request to a main control module in the load equalizer to obtain the address of an actual destination server of the stream media servers, wherein the load equalizer is in charge of a public IP address;

the main control module sending a Synchronize Number (SYN) packet sent from the client to the actual destination server;

a processing module of a server port in the load equalizer intercepting a response sent from the actual destination server with a first-class stream rule of a the server port and forwarding the response to the main control module so that the actual destination server accomplishes a Synchronize Number (SYN) response;

the main control module creating a second-class stream rule of the client port and a second-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to the address and Synchronize Number (SYN) information of the actual destination server and a serial number so as to establish a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel between the client port and the server port;

and

the main control module creating a third-class stream rule of the client port and a third-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to information of the control channel so as to establish a data channel between the client port and the server port,

wherein each of the processing module of the client port, the main control module, and the processing module of the server port are stored in memory.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first-class stream rule of the client port and the first-class stream rule of the server port are default.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second-class stream rule of the client port and the second-class stream rule of the server port are Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the control channel.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third-class stream rule of the client port and the third-class stream rule of the server port are Real-Time Transport Protocol/Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTP/RTCP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the data channel.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of forwarding the TCP request sent from the client to the main control module, the method further comprises a step of returning a Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client by the main control module.

6. The method according to claim 5, after the step of returning a the Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client, the method further comprises a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request by the client and intercepting the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request and forwarding the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the main control module by the processing module of the client port.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of sending the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the actual destination server by the main control module.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response by the actual destination server on receiving the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request, and intercepting and converting a serial number of the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response and sending the response to the main control module by the processing module of server port.

9. A method of equalizing load on stream media servers, comprising:

setting a processing module of a client port to intercept a TCP request sent from a client in accordance with a first-class stream rule at of the client port and to forward the request to a main control module of a load equalizer to obtain an address of a destination server, wherein the load equalizer is disposed before the stream media servers, each server has a private IP address, and the load equalizer is in charge of a public IP address;

the main control module sending a Synchronize Number (SYN) packet sent from the client to the destination server;

setting a processing module of a server port of the load equalizer to intercept a response from the destination server in accordance with a first-class stream rule at of the server port and to forward the response to the main control module so that the destination server accomplishes a Synchronize Number (SYN) response;

the main control module creating a second-class stream rule at of the client port and a second-class stream rule of the server port according to an address and SYN information of the destination server and a serial number, so as to establish a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel between the client port and the server port; and

the main control module creating a third-class stream rule at of the client port and a third-class stream rule of the server port according to certain information of the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel so as to establish a data channel between the client port and the server port,

wherein each of the processing module of the client port, the main control module, and the processing module of the server port are stored in memory.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first-class stream rule at of the client port and the first-class stream rule at of the server port are default rules with low priority.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second-class stream rule at of the client port and the second-class stream rule at of the server port are Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the control channel.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the third-class stream rule at of the client port and the third-class stream rule at of the server port are Real-Time Transport Protocol/Real-Time Transport Control Protocol (RTP/RTCP) classifying rules which are classifying rules for the data channel.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein after the step of forwarding the TCP request sent from the client to the main control module, the method further comprises a step of returning a Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client by the main control module.

14. The method according to claim 13, after the step of returning a the Synchronize Number (SYN) response to the client, the method further comprises a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request by the client and intercepting the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request and forwarding the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the main control module by the processing module of the client port.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of sending the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request to the destination server by the main control module.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising a step of initiating a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response by the destination server on receiving the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) request, and intercepting and converting a serial number of the Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) response and sending the response to the main control module by the processing module of server port.

17. A load equalizer for equalizing load on stream media servers, wherein the load equalizer is disposed before the stream media servers which are trusted by said load equalizer, each server has its own private IP address, and the load equalizer is in charge of a public IP address, the load equalizer comprises:

a processing module of a client port, adapted to intercept a TCP request from a client with a first-class stream rule of a client port and forward the TCP request to a main control module in the load equalizer to obtain thean address of an actual destination server;

the main control module including a processor and being adapted to send a Synchronize Number (SYN) packet sent from the client to the actual destination server; and

a processing module of a server port, adapted to intercept a response sent from the actual destination server with a first-class stream rule of a the server port and forward the response to the main control module so that the actual destination server accomplishes a Synchronize Number (SYN) response,

wherein the main control module is further adapted to create a second-class stream rule of the client port and a second-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to the address and Synchronize Number (SYN) information of the actual destination server and a serial number so as to establish a Real Time Stream Protocol (RTSP) control channel between the client port and the server port, and create a third-class stream rule of the client port and a third-class stream rule of the server port respectively according to information of the control channel so as to establish a data channel between the client port and the server port, and

wherein each of the processing module of the client port, the main control module, and the processing module of the server port are stored in memory.