System and method of algorithmically generating a server side transaction identifier

• US 8,463,850 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: McCann, Benjamin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B
• Application Number:
  US13/282,307
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

A system, medium and method for generating a server side transaction ID (XID′) is disclosed. A request is received from a client device to access a server. The request includes a source port, source IP address, protocol information and a client generated transaction ID (XID). An endian'"'"'ness of the client of determined and classified. A Client ID unique to the client request is then generated using the source port, source IP address, protocol information, and a Masked XID generated from the endian'"'"'ness determination and the XID. A server side transaction ID (XID′) is then synthesized by combining the Client ID and an XID halfword containing least significant bits (LSB) identified from the endian'"'"'ness determination. The XID′ is then transmitted to the file server, wherein the XID′ is associated with the XID for the corresponding client request.

Claims

1. A method of generating a server side transaction ID (XID′

), the method comprising;

receiving, at a file virtualization device, a request from a client device to access a server, wherein the request includes a source port, source IP address, protocol information and a client generated transaction ID (XID);

determining an endian'"'"'ness of the client;

generating a Client ID for the client request, the Client ID utilizing the source port, source IP address, protocol information, and a Masked XID generated from the endian'"'"'ness determination and the XID;

synthesizing a server side transaction ID (XID′

) by combining the Client ID and a XID halfword containing least significant bits (LSB) identified from the endian'"'"'ness determination; and

transmitting the XID′

to the file server, wherein the XID′

is associated with the XID for the corresponding client request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the generated Client ID as a new entry in a Client ID Table and replicating at least a portion of the Client ID Table to at least one other core in the file virtualization device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the generated Client ID as a new entry in a Client ID Table and replicating at least a portion of the Client ID Table to at least one other core in another file virtualization device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the endianness of the client as having a Big Endian format, a Little Endian format, an Unknown format or a Random format; and

storing the classified endian'"'"'ness in a Classification table.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the endianness further comprises:

receiving and storing a plurality of XIDs from the client for a set number of client requests;

comparing a plurality of upper halfwords to identify a number of changed halfwords among adjacent upper halfwords in the set;

designating an entropy classification to the upper halfwords based on the number of identified changed halfwords among upper halfwords;

comparing a plurality of lower halfwords to identify a number of changed halfwords among adjacent lower halfwords in the set;

designating an entropy classification to the lower halfwords based on the number of identified changed halfwords among lower halfwords; and

assigning an XID classification to the client based on the entropy classifications designated to the upper and lower halfwords.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the endian'"'"'ness is classified as having the Random format, the method further comprising:

converting the first XID halfword to a zero bit value;

generating the Client ID with the converted first XID halfword.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for generating a server side transaction ID (XID′

), the medium comprising machine executable code, which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to;

receive a request from a client device to access a server, wherein the request includes a source port, source IP address, protocol information and a client generated transaction ID (XID);

determine an endian'"'"'ness of the client;

generate a Client ID unique to the client request, the Client ID utilizing the source port, source IP address, protocol information, and a Masked XID generated from the endian'"'"'ness determination and the XID;

synthesize a server side transaction ID (XID′

) by combining the Client ID and a XID halfword containing least significant bits (LSB) identified from the endian'"'"'ness determination; and

transmit the XID′

to the file server, wherein the XID′

is associated with the XID for the corresponding client request.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the machine is further configured to store the generated Client ID as a new entry in a Client ID Table and replicate at least a portion of the Client ID Table to at least one other machine in the file virtualization device.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the machine is further configured to store the generated Client ID as a new entry in a Client ID Table and replicate at least a portion of the Client ID Table to at least one other machine in another file virtualization device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the machine is further configured to:

classify the endianness of the client as having a Big Endian format, a Little Endian format, an Unknown format or a Random format; and

store the classified endian'"'"'ness in a Classification table.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the machine, when determining the endianness, is further configured to:

receive and store a plurality of XIDs from the client for a set number of client requests;

compare a plurality of upper halfwords to identify a number of changed halfwords among adjacent upper halfwords in the set;

designate an entropy classification to the upper halfwords based on the number of identified changed halfwords among upper halfwords;

compare a plurality of lower halfwords to identify a number of changed halfwords among adjacent lower halfwords in the set;

designate an entropy classification to the lower halfwords based on the number of identified changed halfwords among lower halfwords; and

assign an XID classification to the client based on the entropy classifications designated to the upper and lower halfwords.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the endian'"'"'ness is classified as having the Random format, the machine is further configured to convert the first XID halfword to a zero bit value and generate the Client ID with the converted first XID halfword.

13. A file virtualization device comprising:

a network interface configured to receive client requests and transmit the client requests to one or more file servers;

a memory configured to store non-transitory machine executable code including programming instructions for generating a server side transaction ID (XID′

); and

a processor configured execute the code, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive a request from a client device to access a server, wherein the request includes a source port, source IP address, protocol information and a client generated transaction ID (XID);

determine an endian'"'"'ness of the client;

generate a Client ID unique to the client request, the Client ID utilizing the source port, source IP address, protocol information, and a Masked XID generated from the endian'"'"'ness determination and the XID;

synthesize a server side transaction ID (XID′

) by combining the Client ID and a XID halfword containing least significant bits (LSB) identified from the endian'"'"'ness determination; and

transmit the XID′

to the file server, wherein the XID′

is associated with the XID for the corresponding client request.

14. The file virtualization device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to store the generated Client ID as a new entry in a Client ID Table and replicate at least a portion of the Client ID Table to at least one other processor in the file virtualization device.

15. The file virtualization device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to store the generated Client ID as a new entry in a Client ID Table and replicate at least a portion of the Client ID Table to at least one processor in another file virtualization device.

16. The file virtualization device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

classify the endianness of the client as having a Big Endian format, a Little Endian format, an Unknown format or a Random format; and

store the classified endianness in a Classification table in the memory.

17. The file virtualization device of claim 16, wherein the processor, when determining the endianness, is further configured to:

receive and store a plurality of XIDs from the client for a set number of client requests;

compare a plurality of upper halfwords to identify a number of changed halfwords among adjacent upper halfwords in the set;

designate an entropy classification to the upper halfwords based on the number of identified changed halfwords among upper halfwords;

compare a plurality of lower halfwords to identify a number of changed halfwords among adjacent lower halfwords in the set;

designate an entropy classification to the lower halfwords based on the number of identified changed halfwords among lower halfwords; and

assign an XID classification to the client based on the entropy classifications designated to the upper and lower halfwords.

18. The file virtualization device of claim 13, wherein the endian'"'"'ness is classified as having the Random format, the processor is further configured to convert the first XID halfword to a zero bit value and generate the Client ID with the converted first XID halfword.