Load distribution in data networks

• US 9,705,800 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A10 Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Sankar, Swaminathan, Karampurwala, Hasnain, Gupta, Rahul, Sampat, Rishi, Kamat, Gurudeep, Jalan, Rajkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles, Kristie
• Application Number:
  US14/029,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 709220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1025 Dynamic adaptation of the criteria on which the server selection is based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems for load distribution in a data network. A method for load distribution in the data network may comprise retrieving network data associated with the data network and service node data associated with one or more service nodes. The method may further comprise analyzing the retrieved network data and service node data. Based on the analysis, a service policy may be generated. Upon receiving one or more service requests, the one or more service requests may be distributed among the service nodes according to the service policy.

Claims

1. A method for service load distribution in a data network, the method comprising:

generating a service policy for distributing network service requests among a plurality of load balancing devices in the data network, wherein the plurality of load balancing devices includes a plurality of routers, a plurality of traffic classification engines, and a plurality of service nodes;

providing the service policy to the plurality of load balancing devices associated with the data network;

receiving, by the plurality of routers, one or more service requests;

distributing, by the plurality of routers, the one or more service requests evenly to one or more of the plurality of traffic classification engines;

distributing, by the one or more of the plurality of traffic classification engines, the one or more service requests asymmetrically to one or more of the plurality of service nodes according to the service policy; and

distributing, by the one or more of the plurality of service nodes, the one or more service requests to one or more backend servers according to the service policy, wherein the service policy is generated based on at least a responsiveness of each of the plurality of service nodes and reachability of the one or more backend servers to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving network data associated with the data network;

retrieving service node data associated with one or more service nodes; and

analyzing the network data and the service node data, wherein the service policy is generated based on the analysis of the network data and the service node data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising pushing the service policy to the plurality of load balancing devices associated with the data network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the network data includes at least one of health of a service node, a number of total connections, processing unit utilization, a memory status, backend server capacity, and network connectivity.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the service node data includes at least one of a dynamic state, node processing unit utilization, a node memory status, and the responsiveness of each of the plurality of service nodes.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising developing a further service policy based on the analysis, wherein the further service policy is associated with scaling up, scaling down, remedying, removing or introducing one or more new service nodes, traffic classification engines or backend servers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein when a service node of the plurality of service nodes is scaled up or scaled down, the one or more service requests are redirected to the one or more the plurality of service nodes to continue processing data associated with the one or more service requests.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of service nodes includes a virtual machine and a physical device.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising facilitating reverse traffic from the backend servers to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network includes a software driven network (SDN), the SDN comprising at least one of the plurality of traffic classification engines, the plurality of service nodes, and application delivery controllers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the service policy includes at least one of a traffic distribution policy and a service node load policy.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating an application programmable interface to a network administrator; and

developing a further service policy based on the analysis, the further service policy being for the network administrator via the application programmable interface.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a health check of the one or more backend servers by the plurality of load balancing devices associated with the data network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising scaling up the plurality of service nodes, the one or more backend servers, the plurality of traffic classification engines, cluster masters, and other devices in the SDN network while reducing disruption to traffic flow.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising scaling down the plurality of service nodes, the one or more backend servers, the plurality of traffic classification engines, cluster masters, and other devices in the SDN network while reducing disruption to traffic flow.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising scaling up or scaling down services while reducing disruption to traffic flow.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the one or more of the plurality of service nodes; and

transmitting data associated with the one or more of the plurality of service nodes to the cluster master.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing data associated with at least one of the cluster master, the plurality of traffic classification engines, the plurality of service nodes, the one or more backend servers, and service policies; and

sharing the data among the cluster master, the plurality of traffic classification engines, and the plurality of service nodes.

19. A system for service load distribution in a data network, the system comprising:

a cluster master that;

retrieves network data associated with the data network;

retrieves service node data associated with one or more service nodes;

analyzes the network data and the service node data;

based on the analysis, generates a service policy for distributing network service requests among a plurality of load balancing devices in the data network, wherein the plurality of load balancing devices includes a plurality of routers, a plurality of traffic classification engines, and a plurality of service nodes; and

provides the service policy to the plurality of load balancing devices associated with the data network;

the plurality of routers that;

receive one or more service requests; and

distribute the one or more service requests evenly to one or more of the plurality of traffic classification engines;

the plurality of traffic classification engines, wherein at least the one or more of the plurality of traffic classification engines are configured to;

receive the service policy;

receive the one or more service requests from the plurality of routers; and

distribute the one or more service requests asymmetrically to one or more of the plurality of service nodes according to the service policy; and

the plurality of service nodes, wherein at least the one or more of the plurality of service nodes are configured to distribute the one or more service requests to one or more backend servers according to the service policy;

wherein the service policy is generated based on at least a responsiveness of each of the plurality of service nodes and reachability of the one or more backend servers to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of service nodes and plurality of the traffic classification engines acts as a cluster master, and wherein the cluster master and the plurality of service nodes act as a traffic classification engine.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising an orchestrator that:

detects the one or more of the plurality of service nodes; and

transmits data associated with the one or more of the plurality of service nodes to the cluster master.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising a network database that:

stores data associated with at least one of the cluster master, the plurality of traffic classification engines, the plurality of service nodes, the one or more backend servers, and service policies; and

allows the data to be shared among the cluster master, the plurality of traffic classification engine, and the plurality of service nodes.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the stored data includes the network data and the service node data.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of service nodes is further configured to send the service node data to the cluster master.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the network data includes at least one of a number of total connections, processing unit utilization, a memory status, and network connectivity.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the service node data includes at least one of a health of the service node, a dynamic state, and the responsiveness of each of the plurality of service nodes.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the service policy includes at least one of service address, service node address, a traffic distribution policy, and a service node load policy.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the cluster master includes a backup unit configured to replace the cluster master in case of a failure of the cluster master.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the cluster master performs at least one of:

developing a further service policy based on the analysis, wherein the further service policy is associated with scaling down, scaling up, remedying, removing services associated with the plurality of service nodes, or introducing a new service associated with the plurality of service nodes; and

facilitating provision of an application programmable interface to a network administrator to enable the network administrator to develop, based on the analysis, a further service policy.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein when services associated with a service node of the plurality of service nodes are scaled up or scaled down, the one or more service requests are redirected to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes to continue processing data associated with the one or more service requests.

31. The system of claim 19, further comprising performing a health check of the one or more backend servers by the plurality of load balancing devices associated with the data network.

32. The system of claim 19, further comprising scaling up the plurality of service nodes, the one or more backend servers, the plurality of traffic classification engines, cluster masters, and other devices in the SDN network while reducing disruption to the traffic flow.

33. The system of claim 19, further comprising scaling down the plurality of service nodes, the one or more backend servers, the plurality of traffic classification engines, cluster masters, and other devices in the SDN network while reducing disruption to traffic flow.

34. The system of claim 19, further comprising scaling up and scaling down services while reducing disruption to traffic flow.

35. The method of claim 19, further comprising facilitating reverse traffic from the one or more backend servers to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes.

36. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

retrieving network data associated with a data network;

retrieving service node data associated with a plurality of service nodes;

analyzing the network data and the service node data;

based on the analyzed network data and service node data, generating a service policy for distributing network service requests among a plurality of load balancing devices in the data network, wherein the plurality of load balancing devices includes a plurality of routers, a plurality of traffic classification engines, and the plurality of service nodes;

providing the service policy to plurality of load balancing devices associated with the data network;

receiving, by the plurality of routers, one or more service requests;

distributing, by the plurality of routers, the one or more service requests evenly to one or more of the plurality of traffic classification engines;

distributing, by the one or more of the plurality of traffic classification engines, the one or more service requests asymmetrically to one or more of the plurality of service nodes according to the service policy;

distributing, by the one or more of the plurality of service nodes, the one or more service requests to one or more backend servers according to the service policy, wherein the service policy is generated based on at least a responsiveness of each of the plurality of service nodes and reachability of the one or more backend servers to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes;

developing a first further service policy based on the analysis, wherein the first further service policy is associated with scaling up, scaling down, remedying, or removing services associated with the plurality of service nodes, and introducing a new service associated with the plurality of service nodes;

facilitating providing an application programmable interface to a network administrator;

developing a second further service policy based on the analysis by the network administrator via the application programmable interface;

performing a health check of the one or more backend servers by the plurality of load balancing devices associated with the data network;

scaling up or scaling down at least one of the plurality of service nodes, the one or more backend servers, the plurality of traffic classification engines, and cluster masters while reducing disruption to traffic flow;

scaling up or scaling down services while reducing disruption to the traffic flow;

facilitating reverse traffic from the one or more backend servers to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes; and

redirecting the one or more service requests to the one or more of the plurality of service nodes to continue processing data associated with the one or more service requests when at least one service node of the plurality of service nodes has been scaled up or down.