SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HANDLING A MULTI-CONNECTION PROTOCOL BETWEEN A CLIENT AND SERVER TRAVERSING A MULTI-CORE SYSTEM

• US 20100322252A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Shetty, Anil, Suganthi, Josephine
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.53
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/326 in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] H04L69/16 takes precedence

Abstract

The present application is directed towards systems and methods for handling a multi-connection protocol communication between a client and a server traversing a multi-core system. The multi-connection protocol comprises a first connection and a second connection, which may be used respectively for control communications and data communications. Because different cores in the multi-core system may handle the first connection and second connection, the present invention provides systems and methods for efficiently coordinating protocol management between a plurality of cores.

Claims

1. A method of handling a multi-connection protocol communication between a client and a server traversing a multi-core system, the multi-connection protocol comprising a control connection and a data connection, the method comprising:

a) receiving, by a first packet processing engine of a first core of a multi-core system, a port command via a control connection from a client to a server to establish a data connection with the server via a multi-connection protocol, the port command comprising an internet protocol address of the client and a port number of the client;

b) determining, by the first packet processing engine based on the port command, a second core of the multi-core system to which a flow distributor will forward a data connection request from the server;

c) sending, by the first core, to the second core a message comprising information on the port command;

d) establishing, by a second packet processing engine of the second core, a listening service on a mapped internet protocol address of and a mapped port number of the multi-core system;

e) sending, by the second core, to the first core a second message identifying the mapped internet protocol address and mapped port number; and

f) modifying, by the first packet processing engine, the port command to identify the mapped internet protocol address of the multi-core system as the internet protocol address of the client and the mapped port number as the port number of the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining, by the first packet processing engine, the second core based on performing a hash of a 4-tuple of the data connection request to be sent by the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises determining, by the first packet processing engine, the second core based on the internet protocol address and the port number of the client and the server'"'"'s internet protocol address and port number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises communicating by the first core to the second core via the first message information on the control connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises allocating, by the second core, the mapped port number of the multi-core system from a plurality of port numbers not in use by the multi-core system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises allocating, by the second core the mapped internet protocol address of the multi-core system from a plurality of internet protocol addresses hosted by the multi-core system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) further comprises sending, by the second core to the first core the second message indicating the listening service was established.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (f) further comprises forwarding, by the first packet processing engine, the modified port command to the server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, by the second core upon closing of the data connection, to the first core a message indicating the data connection was closed.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the listening service of the second core, the data connection request from the server.

11. A method of handling a multi-connection protocol communication between a client and a server traversing a multi-core system, the multi-connection protocol comprising a control connection and a data connection, the method comprising:

a) receiving, by a first packet processing engine of a first core of a multi-core system via a control connection of a multi-connection protocol, a request from a client to a server for a port of the server to establish a data connection with the server;

b) receiving, by the first packet processing engine, a response from the server identifying the port of the server for establishing the data connection;

c) identifying, by the first packet processing engine, a virtual port number and virtual internet protocol address of the multi-core system;

d) sending, by the first packet processing engine, to a plurality of cores of the multi-core system, a first message identifying the virtual internet protocol address and the virtual port number;

e) establishing, by each of the plurality of cores, a listening service on the virtual internet protocol address and the virtual port number;

f) receiving, by the listening service of a second core of the plurality of cores, a data connection request from the client to the server; and

g) sending, by the second core, a second message to the plurality of cores that the second core has the data connection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein step (a) further comprises modifying the request to the server to identify a mapped internet protocol address and mapped port number of the multi-core system, the mapped internet protocol address mapped to an internet protocol address of the client and the mapped port number mapped to a port number of the client.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forwarding the modified request to the server.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein step (c) further comprises modifying, by the first packet processing engine, the response from the server to identify the virtual port number as the port of the server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising forwarding by the first packet processing engine, the modified response to the client.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein step (f) further comprises determining, by the second core, a mapped internet protocol address and a mapped port number for the client to have server traffic via the data connection forwarded by the flow distributor to the second core.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein step (g) further comprises disestablishing, by each of the plurality of the cores, the listening service responsive to the second message.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein step (g) further comprises incrementing, by the first packet processing engine of the first core, a reference counter for the data connection of the control connection in response to the second message.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the second core sending a third message to the first core upon closing of the data connection and the first packet processing engine decrementing the reference counter.