Techniques for remapping content requests

• US 20080040306A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ma, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Techniques for routing content requests are provided. In one embodiment, a first device at a network device sends a request from a first device at a first site for content to a second device at a second site. The second device determines if the request should be redirected to a third device in a third site. For example, a content server in the second site may decide that a request is better serviced by a third site. This may be because the third site may be closer to the first site, the second site may be overloaded or down, etc. If the request should be redirected, the second device determines a rule for sending further requests for the content to the third site. Signaling is then sent to the network device such that the rule may be installed where further requests for the content are sent to the third site. The further requests are sent to the third site without going through the second site. Accordingly, the requests are more efficiently routed to the third site instead of having to go through the second site and being redirected to the third site.

Claims

1. A method for redirecting requests, the method comprising:

receiving a request for content at a second device in a second site, the request received from a first device at a first site through a network device;

determining if the request should be redirected to a third device in a third site;

if the request should be redirected, performing the steps of;

determining a rule for sending further requests for the content to the third site; and

sending signaling to the network device, wherein the rule is installed such that further requests for the content are sent to the third site without going through the second site when the further requests satisfy the rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a path using the rule, the path configured to direct the request to the third site without going through the second site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the path comprises a label switched path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule comprises a 5-tuple.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the network device includes a reusable rule;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule; and

sending the changes to the network device allowing the network device to change the reusable rule with the changes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the rule is determined to be reusable when it is not in use.

7. The method of claim 1, the network device comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the second device comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the further requests comprise a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

10. A method for redirecting requests, the method comprising:

sending, at a network device, a first request for content received from a first device at a first site;

receiving, from a second device in a second site, a rule for sending further requests for the content to a third site;

installing the rule;

receiving a second request for the content;

determining if the second request matches the rule; and

sending the second request for the content to the third site based on the rule without going through the second site if the second request matches the rule.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a path using the rule, the path directing the request to the third site without going through the second site.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the path comprises a label switched path.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule; and

changing the reusable rule at the network device using the changes in the rule.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rule is determined to be reusable when it is not in use.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the network device comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the second device comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

17. The method of claim 10, if the second request does not match the rule, sending the second request for the content to the second site.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the second request comprises a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

19. An apparatus configured to facilitate redirecting of requests, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a set of steps comprising;

receiving a request for content at a second device in a second site, the request received from a first device at a first site through a network device;

determining if the request should be redirected to a third device in a third site;

if the request should be redirected, performing the steps of;

determining a rule for sending further requests for the content to the third site; and

sending signaling to the network device, wherein the rule is installed such that further requests for the content are sent to the third site without going through the second site when the further requests satisfy the rule.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform a further step comprising:

determining a path using the rule, the path configured to direct the request to the third site without going through the second site.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the path comprises a label switched path.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform further steps comprising:

determining if the network device includes a reusable rule;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule; and

sending the changes to the network device allowing the network device to change the reusable rule with the changes.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the rule is determined to be reusable when it is not in use.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the network device comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the second device comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the further requests comprise a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

27. An apparatus configured to facilitate the redirecting of requests, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a set of steps comprising;

sending, at a network device, a first request for content received from a first device at a first site;

receiving, from a second device in a second site, a rule for sending further requests for the content to a third site;

installing the rule;

receiving a second request for the content;

determining if the second request matches the rule; and

sending the second request for the content to the third site based on the rule without going through the second site if the second request matches the rule.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform a further step comprising:

determining a path using the rule, the path directing the request to the third site without going through the second site.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the path comprises a label switched path.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform further steps comprising:

determining if the rule includes changes for a reusable rule already installed at the network device;

determining changes to the reusable rule such that the reusable rule matches the rule; and

changing the reusable rule at the network device using the changes in the rule.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the rule is determined to be reusable when it is not in use.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the network device comprises a router, the first device comprises a client, the second device comprises a first content switch, and the third device comprises a second content switch.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first site, second site, and third site each comprise separate data centers.

34. The apparatus of claim 27, if the second request does not match the rule, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to send the second request for the content to the second site.

35. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second request comprises a packet that includes information that satisfies the rule.

36. An apparatus configured to redirect requests, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for content at a second device in a second site, the request received from a first device at a first site through a network device;

means for determining if the request should be redirected to a third device in a third site;

if the request should be redirected, performing the steps of;

means for determining a rule for sending further requests for the content to the third site; and

means for sending signaling to the network device, wherein the rule is installed such that further requests for the content are sent to the third site without going through the second site when the further requests satisfy the rule.

37. An apparatus configured to redirect requests, the apparatus comprising:

means for sending, at a network device, a first request for content received from a first device at a first site;

means for receiving, from a second device in a second site, a rule for sending further requests for the content to a third site;

means for installing the rule;

means for receiving a second request for the content;

means for determining if the second request matches the rule; and

means for sending the second request for the content to the third site based on the rule without going through the second site if the second request matches the rule.