Simplified method for processing multiple connections from the same client

• US 8,380,854 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Szabo, Paul I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US10/150,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,931 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/225, 709/203, 718/100, 718/104, 718/105
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• 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 67/1014 based on the content of a request

Abstract

An apparatus is related to connection management for a communications network. A control component receives a data flow requesting a resource from a client, identifies the client, and determines when the data flow is unassociated with a connection to a requested resource. The control component selects a new content server for an unassociated resource request when either the identified client was previously unknown or the identified client has exceeded a maximum number of connections with a previously selected content server. The control component selects the previously selected content server when the identified client has not exceeded the maximum number of connections. A switch component is employed to maintain a connection between the client and the selected content server such that the client receives the requested resource. Utilizing cached connection information for up to “N” connections enhances the speed of connections between the client and the selected content server.

Claims

1. An apparatus for directing communications over a network between an identified client and at least one server, comprising:

a data component configured to;

receive a resource request associated with a data flow from a client identified to already be in communication with at least one server, wherein the data flow includes an associated flow signature;

determine whether the resource request is directed to an identified server with which the identified client has already reached a selected maximum number of established connections irrespective of the identified server having capacity to accommodate the resource request, wherein the data component is configured to identify a corresponding data flow of a plurality of data flows based on at least one constraint in the flow signature, wherein the plurality of data flows are stored in a data structure, each data flow having an associated connection instruction;

performing a look up in the data structure to identify a connection instruction for the identified data flow related to the received data flow, wherein the connection instruction comprises generating a new connection for the resource request to be handled by another server when a constraint of the flow signature matches a corresponding constraint of the identified related data flow; and

a memory storage that is arranged to cooperate with the data component, wherein the memory storage stores the data structure and associated connection instructions of each data flow that is associated with the requested resource.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data structure further comprises a table to list each data flow that is associated with a connection instruction to the requested resource.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data component categorizes a plurality of data packets for each data flow.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data component determines when an event is associated with the data flow.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the data component categorizes each event.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow signature includes information about a source and a destination for each data packet in the data flow.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch component that collects metrics regarding each connection to each resource.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a server array controller that includes the action of the data component and the switch component.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data component is arranged to compare the at least a portion of the flow signature to the data flows in the data structure in determining if the identified client has already reached the selected maximum number of established connections with the at least one server.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data component is arranged to maintain a connection count that is associated with the number of connections between the identified client and a selected server, wherein the connection count is amended when the connection instruction is established between the identified client and the selected server.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the connection count is compared to the maximum number of resource requests that is associated with the identified client to determine if the identified client has already reached the selected maximum number of established connections with the at least one server.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the connection count is associated with a source address and a destination address, wherein the source address is associated with the identified client and the destination address is associated with the resource request.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resource request is identified by a TCP synchronization request in the data flow.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch component that caches server selections and directs at least one data flow based on a cached server selection.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch component configured to direct a data flow between the identified client and a new server other than the identified server when refusing to connect the resource request to the identified server because the identified client has already reached a selected maximum number of established connections with the at least one server, such that the new server provides the requested resource to the identified client over the network.

16. An apparatus for directing communications over a network between an identified client and at least one server, comprising:

a data component having a processor configured to;

receive a resource request routed associated a data flow from a client identified as in communication with at least one server, at least a portion of the data flow including a flow signature having timing information of the connection between the identified client and the at least one server; and

determine when the resource request is directed to an identified server with which the identified client has already reached a selected maximum number of established connections irrespective of the identified server having capacity to accommodate the resource request, wherein the data component generates a new connection instruction for the resource request to be handled by another server when the selected maximum number of established connections for the identified client has been reached at the identified server, and further wherein the data component retrieves a previously stored connection instruction in a memory storage when the selected maximum number of established connections between the identified client and the identified server has not been reached.

17. An apparatus for directing communications over a network between an identified client and at least one server, comprising:

a data component configured to;

receive a resource request from a client identified to already be in communication with at least one server, the resource request having an associated data flow including a flow signature having timing information of the connection between the identified client and the at least one server; and

determine when the resource request is directed to an identified server with which the identified client has already reached a selected maximum number of established connections irrespective of the identified server having capacity to accommodate the resource request, wherein the data component generates a new connection instruction for the resource request to be handled by another server when the selected maximum number of established connections between the identified client and the identified server has been reached, and further wherein the data component retrieves a previously stored connection instruction in a memory component when the selected maximum number of established connections between the identified client and the identified server has not been reached; and

a switch component caching server selections and directing at least one data flow associated with the resource request based on a cached server selection.