Method and apparatus for a distributed server tree

• US 7,418,509 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VL Collective IP, LLC (VideoLabs, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Koskelainen, Petri, Vainikainen, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/986,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,478 Days
• Field of Search: 709226-229, 709217-219, 709/203, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for reducing server load. Requests are received for a service at a first server from a plurality of client devices. The first server decides to identify one or more other servers to provide the service to some of the plurality of client devices. An address is requested of one or more second servers from a server address management entity. A resource identifier is created at the second servers. Some of the plurality of client devices are redirected to get the service from the one or more second servers. A distributed server tree is formed. The first server provides the service to the second servers to be then provided to some of the plurality of client devices, therefore, reducing the load on the first server and providing more efficient service to the plurality of client devices. The servers may be Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) servers.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving requests for a service at a first server from a plurality of client devices;

determining to identify at least one other server to provide the service to at least one of the plurality of client devices on the basis of determining that a plurality of client devices are located in a particular location;

determining that some of the plurality of client devices fulfill load balancing criteria for providing the service more efficiently via at least one second server;

creating a resource identifier for the at least one second server; and

redirecting at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second server, wherein the first server redirects the request for the service in a single message to each of the at least one second server, each of said at least one second server providing service for the plurality of client devices redirected to the at least one second server, therefore, reducing the load on the first server.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the requests for the service at the first server from web browsers at the plurality of client devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on current load of the first server.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a location of the some of the plurality of client devices.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising determining to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a domain of the some of the plurality of client devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Domain Naming System server.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising requesting the address of the at least one second server from a Service Location Protocol server.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first server and the at least one second server are Session Initiation Protocol servers.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving the requests for the service at the first SIP server by receiving one of a SIP SUBSCRIBE message and a SIP INVITE message from the plurality of client devices.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising requesting an address of a Service Location Protocol server from a Domain Naming System server, and requesting the address of the at least one second server from the Service Location Protocol server.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving requests comprising subscriptions to a notification service at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising further comprising receiving subscriptions to one of a sports event notification service, a news event notification service, and a financial event notification service at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving requests comprising invitations to a group communications at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising receiving invitations to one of a group conference call and a chat group at the first server from the plurality of client devices.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the at least one second server:

determining to identify at least one other server to provide the service to the at least some of the plurality of client devices;

requesting an address of at least one third server from the server address management entity;

creating a resource identifier at the at least one third server; and

redirecting at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one third server,

wherein the load on the at least one second server is reduced.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the plurality of client devices from a list of known servers.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising optimizing the service to the at least some of the plurality of client devices by balancing the load among the at least one second server.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising optimizing the service to the at least some of the plurality of client devices by redirecting some of the at least some of the plurality of client devices from the at least one second server to get the service from at least one third server.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resource identifier comprises one of a Universal Resource Locator and a group identifier.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the particular location comprises a domain where clients are located.

21. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable-medium, when executed the computer program causing a computing device to:

receive requests for a service from a plurality of client devices;

determine to identify at least one other server to provide the service to at least one of the plurality of client devices on the basis of determining that a plurality of client devices are located in a particular location;

determine that some of the plurality of the client devices fulfill load balancing criteria for providing the service more efficiently via at least one second server;

create a resource identifier for the at least one second server; and

redirect at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second sever, wherein the computing device redirects the request for the service in a single message to each of the at least one second server, each of said at least one second server providing service to some of the plurality of client devices redirected to the at least one second server, therefore, reducing the load on the computing device.

22. The computer program according to claim 21, further causing the computing device to determine to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on current load of the computing device.

23. The computer program according to claim 21, further causing the computing device to determine to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a location of the some of the plurality of client devices.

24. The computer program according to claim 23, further causing the computing device to determine to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a domain of the some of the plurality of client devices.

25. The computer program according to claim 21, further causing the computing device to request the address of the at least one second server from a Domain Naming System server.

26. The computer program according to claim 21, further causing the computing device to request the address of the at least one second server from a Service Location Protocol server.

27. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein the computing device and the at least one second server comprise Session Initiation Protocol servers.

28. The computer program according to claim 27, further causing the computing device to receive the requests for the service at the computing device by receiving one of a SIP SUBSCRIBE message and a SIP INVITE message from the plurality of client devices.

29. The computer program according to claim 21, further causing the computing device to request an address of a Service Location Protocol server from a Domain Naming System (DNS) server, and requesting the address of the at least one second server from the Service Location Protocol server.

30. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein the resource identifier comprises one of a Universal Resource Locator and a group identifier.

31. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein the particular location comprises a domain where clients are located.

32. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive requests for a service from a plurality of client devices;

a identifier configured to identify at least one other server to provide the service to at least one of the plurality of client device;

a determiner configured to determine that some of the plurality of the client devices fulfill load balancing criteria for providing the service more efficiently via at least one second server;

a creator configured to create a resource identifier for the at least one second server; and

a redirector configured to redirect at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second sever, wherein the server redirects the request for the service in a single message to each of the at least one second server, each of said at least one second server providing service to some of the plurality of client devices redirected to the at least one second server, therefore, reducing the load on the server.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the identifier is further configured to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on current load of the server.

34. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the identifier is further configured to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a location of the some of the plurality of client devices on the basis of determining that a plurality of client devices are located in a particular location.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the particular location comprises a domain where clients are located.

36. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the identifier is further configured to to identify the at least one other server to provide the service to at least some of the client devices based on a domain of the some of the plurality of client devices.

37. The apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a requester configured to request the address of the at least one second server from a Domain Naming System server.

38. The apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a requester configured to request the address of the at least one second server from a Service Location Protocol server.

39. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the server and the at least one second server comprise Session Initiation Protocol servers.

40. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive requests for a service at a first server from a plurality of client devices;

a first determiner configured to determine to identify at least one other server to provide the service to at least one some of the plurality of client device on the basis of determining that a plurality of client devices are located in a particular location;

a second determiner configured to determine that some of the plurality of client devices fulfill load balancing criteria for providing the service more efficiently via at least one second server;

a creator configured to create a resource identifier for the at least one second server; and

a redirector configured to redirect at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second server, wherein the first server redirects the request for the service in a single message to each of the at least one second server, each of said at least one second server providing service for the plurality of client devices redirected to the at least one second server, therefore, reducing the load on the first server.

41. An apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving requests for a service at a first server from a plurality of client devices;

determining means for determining to identify at least one other server to provide the service to at least one of the plurality of client device on the basis of determining that a plurality of client devices are located in a particular location;

determining means for determining that some of the plurality of client devices fulfill load balancing criteria for providing the service more efficiently via at least one second server;

creating means for creating a resource identifier for the at least one second server; and

redirecting means for redirecting at least some of the plurality of client devices to get the service from the at least one second server, wherein the first server redirects the request for the service in a single message to each of the at least one second server, each of said at least one second server providing service for the plurality of client devices redirected to the at least one second server, therefore, reducing the load on the first server.