Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-26
2001-05-01
Geckil, Mehmet B. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
C709S224000, C709S226000, C709S229000, C709S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226684
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of networking and, more specifically, to the routing of network messages. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of recording connections between a client and a server to allow for a set of routers to reestablish these connections the next time a communication is initiated by the client.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The routing of network messages from a client to a bank of servers via a router can be a haphazard process. Depending on the router's fairness algorithm a message could get forwarded to a different server each time a connection with the bank of servers is requested by a client. A connection between a particular client and a particular server is repeatable. However, often a client only knows of a group of servers it needs to communicate with. As the amount of data that servers have to provide increases, having a group of servers providing that data is becoming more common.
A particular client will often communicate with the bank of servers repeatedly looking for related data on subsequent connections to the bank of servers. For example, a client may look for data that relates to an executable that it is running or a database that the client is accessing. It would be advantageous for a bank of servers to direct a particular client to a particular server each time a connection to the bank of servers is established. Having a repeatable connection would decrease the number of page faults and reduce the latency incurred in a data request. Further, a repeatable connection increases the caching efficiency on remote proxy servers. Proxy servers will cache the same document or file retrieval from different servers having different Uniform Resource Locations (URLs), and it is thus advantageous to have the same file retrieval from the same server via a single proxy server.
Currently a router will accept messages from a client, and route those messages from the client to a server in a bank of servers according to its particular fairness algorithm. Choosing a server in this manner may result in different servers being contacted each time the client makes a request for information from the bank of servers. This may cause the servers to page fault unnecessarily and may increase the latency involved in a transaction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of establishing a communication link between a client and a first server of a plurality of servers. The client is assigned to the first server of the plurality of servers in response to a transmission received, from the client, at a first router of a plurality of routers. Information is then transmitted to a second router of the plurality of routers. This information indicates the assignment of the client to the first server of the plurality of servers.
In one embodiment, the information indicating the assignment of the client to the first server is recorded in a mapping table. The mapping table may map an address of the client to an address of the first server. The address of the first server may be determined from an entry in the mapping table if the address of the client appears in the mapping table. Alternatively, the address of the first server may be determined utilizing a routing table if the address of the client does not appear in the mapping table.
In an exemplary embodiment, the routing table may be constructed utilizing communications received from any one of the plurality of servers. Further, the mapping table may be constructed utilizing communications received from any one of the plurality of routers.
Information indicating the assignment of the client to the first server may be multi-cast, or alternatively broadcast, from the router to each of the plurality of routers. The router or first server may also transmit a message to the client indicating the assignment of the client to the first server.
In one embodiment, the router may determine whether the first server is accepting communications prior to assigning the client to the first server. This may be done, for example, by the examination of a status indication for the first server maintained in the routing table. The status indication of the first server in the routing table may be modified to indicate the first server as not receiving indications if the first server does not updated the relevant entry within the routing table within a predetermined time.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a router that may be configured to perform anyone, or all, of the above steps.
Other features of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.
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Dayal Vibha
Ramakrishnan Satish
Sung Yi-Hsin
Blakely & Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman
Geckil Mehmet B.
PointCast, Inc.
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