Method and apparatus for communicating among a network of servers

• US 20010049717A1
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Pedersen, Bradley Jay, Freeman, Thomas D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,807,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/508 Monitor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• 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 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1027 Persistence of sessions during load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for communication between servers. In one aspect, the invention relates to a multi-server system including a first server and a second server. The first server has a first plurality of subsystems and a first event bus associated with the first plurality of subsystems, the first event bus including a first event delivery object having a first dispatch table and a first transport mechanism associated with the first event delivery object. The second server has a second plurality of subsystems. One of the first plurality of subsystems communicates with one of the second plurality of subsystems by transmitting an event to the first transport mechanism based on an entry in the first dispatch table.

In one embodiment, the first transport mechanism transmits data using TCP/IP. In another embodiment, the first plurality of subsystems includes a transport subsystem. In another embodiment, the transport subsystem is in communication with the second server. In another embodiment, each of the first plurality of subsystems has an associated unique identifier. In another embodiment, one of the first plurality of subsystems creates an event having an identifier unique to the creating subsystem.

Claims

1. A multi-server system comprising:

a first server comprising a first plurality of subsystems and a first event bus associated with said first plurality of subsystems, said first event bus comprising a first event delivery object comprising a first dispatch table and a first transport mechanism; and

a second server comprising a second plurality of subsystems,

wherein one of said first plurality of subsystems communicates with one of said second plurality of subsystems by transmitting an event to said first transport mechanism in response to an entry in said first dispatch table.

2. The multi-server system of

claim 1

wherein said first transport mechanism transmits data using TCP/IP.

3. The multi-server system of

claim 1

wherein one of said first plurality of subsystems comprises a transport subsystem.

4. The multi-server system of

claim 3

wherein said transport subsystem is in communication with said second server.

5. The multi-server system of

claim 1

wherein each of said first plurality of subsystems has an associated unique identifier.

6. The server of

claim 5

wherein one of said first plurality of subsystems creates an event having an identifier unique to said creating subsystem.

7. The multi-server system of

claim 1

further comprising a plurality of system service modules in communication with said first event bus.

8. The multi-server system of

claim 7

wherein one of said first plurality of system service modules comprises a subscription management module providing a subscription table.

9. The multi-server system of

claim 8

wherein one of said first plurality of subsystems makes an entry into said subscription table using said subscription management module.

10. The multi-server system of

claim 7

wherein one of said first plurality of system service modules comprises a service locator module identifying a server capable of responding to a particular event.

11. The multi-server system of

claim 1

wherein said second server further comprises a second event bus associated with said second plurality of subsystems, said second event bus comprising a second event delivery object and a second transport mechanism.

12. The multi-server system of

claim 11

wherein said event is transmitted from said first server to said second server using said first transport mechanism, said first transport mechanism is in communication with said second transport mechanism.

13. The multi-server system of

claim 12

wherein communication between said first transport mechanism and said second transport mechanism uses TCP/IP.

14. The multi-server system of

claim 3

wherein one of said second plurality of subsystems comprises a transport system.

15. The multi-server system of

claim 14

wherein said transport system of said first server is in communication with said transport system of said second server.

16. The multi-server system of

claim 15

wherein communication between said transport system of said first server and said transport system of said second server uses TCP/IP.

17. A method for communicating among a plurality of networked servers, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a first server with a first plurality of subsystems;

(b) providing on said first server a transport mechanism in communication with an event delivery object having a dispatch table;

(c) receiving on said first server an event from one of said first plurality of subsystems; and

(d) transmitting said received event to one of said transport mechanism and a second one of said first plurality of subsystems.

18. The method of

claim 17

wherein step (a) further comprises providing said first plurality of subsystems wherein one of said first plurality of subsystems comprises a transport subsystem.

19. The method of

claim 17

wherein step (a) further comprises providing an event queue associated with one of said first plurality of subsystems, said event queue in communication with said event delivery object.

20. The method of

claim 19

wherein step (c) comprises transmitting said received event to said event queue.

21. The method of

claim 17

further comprising the step of generating, by a subsystem, an event for transmission.

22. The method of

claim 17

further comprising the step of generating, by a subsystem, an event for transmission, said event having an associated unique identifier.

23. The method of

claim 17

further comprising the step of providing a plurality of system service modules in communication with said event delivery object, one of said system service modules comprising a subscription table.

24. The method of

claim 17

further comprising the step of providing a plurality of system service modules in communication with said event delivery object, one of said system service modules comprising a service locator module.

25. The method of

claim 24

further comprising the step of identifying a server capable of responding to a particular event.

26. The method of

claim 17

further comprising the step of transmitting said received event from one of said transport mechanism and a second one of said first plurality of subsystems to a second server.

27. The method of

claim 26

further comprising the steps of:

providing on said second server a transport mechanism in communication with an event delivery object comprising a dispatch table; and

receiving on said transport mechanism of said second server said event from said first server.

28. The method of

claim 26

further comprising the steps of:

providing said second plurality of subsystems wherein one of said second plurality of subsystems comprises a transport subsystem; and

receiving on said transport subsystem of said second server said event from said first server.

29. The method of

claim 26

further comprising using TCP/IP when transmitting from said first server to said second server.