Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-29
2001-08-21
Black, Thomas (Department: 2171)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C709S217000, C709S218000, C709S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279001
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to managing web servers and, more particularly, to a web service system that allows a system operator to manage multiple web servers.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Web servers are used to respond to user's web page requests. A web server monitors one or more computer network address/port endpoints for web page requests and responds to the web page requests sent to an endpoint by transmitting web pages to the requester. Such web servers may be implemented with a software program running on a general purpose computer. The service capacity of a web server limits the number of web page requests that may be received and responded to.
For web applications that generate a significant amount of requests, web page application providers may use two or more web servers. Each web page request may be directed towards one of the web servers, and that one of the web servers responds to that web page request. In this way the requests are divided among the web servers. The web page requester may or may not have knowledge that there are a plurality of web servers responding to requests for a particular application.
In one web service system, the requester has knowledge that the application is available from more than one web server. The requester selects a web server, and requests a web page from that server. The web server responds to that web page request by providing a web page. This system has the disadvantage of requiring that the requester be aware of the various web servers. It has the additional disadvantage of having the web server selection be out of the control of the web service system.
In another system with multiple web servers, the domain name system (“DNS”) that is in use in the Internet may be used to divide requests among a plurality of web servers. In normal use, a DNS server is used to match a web server name with a network address/port endpoint. A DNS request provides the DNS server with the name of a web server, and the DNS server responds with the network address/port endpoint of that web server. In the web service system that uses a DNS server to distribute requests to multiple web servers, when a web server name is submitted to the DNS server, the DNS server responds with one of the several address/port endpoints associated with the multiple web servers. In this way, DNS requests with the same DNS name may be responded to with different web servers having different network address/port endpoints. In this way, the DNS server can divide the requests among the servers. This has the advantage of not requiring the requester to have knowledge of the web service system architecture. One disadvantage of this system is that the DNS server must do more work than usually required to match names with endpoints, and this extra work may decrease the throughput of the DNS server. Another disadvantage is that the DNS server may not know how many web page requests are associated with a DNS request. Each response of the DNS server may be cached in other DNS servers for some period of time, and so one DNS request response may result in an unpredictably large number of web page requests being directed to the one web server, and that server may become overloaded.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention features a system for managing one or more web servers. The system includes a traffic management subsystem for distributing web page requests to the web servers. The system also includes a monitor for collecting and storing information related to the requests for web pages. The system also includes an identifier for identifying problems with the web servers.
Embodiments of this aspect of the invention can include the following features. In one embodiment, the traffic management subsystem includes an interceptor receiving web page requests and distributing the web page requests to the web servers based on the load on the web servers. In another embodiment, the web servers are capable of redirecting requests based on the load on the web servers. In another embodiment, the traffic management subsystem includes a manager for receiving web server load information and communicating the web server load information to the interceptor. In another embodiment, the traffic management subsystem includes an agent for directing the web servers.
In another embodiment, the manager directs the agent to direct one of the web servers to redirect requests. In another embodiment, the web servers run on hosts, and each host includes an agent that is in communication with at least one of the web servers on the host and each agent is also in communication with the manager.
In another embodiment, the monitor includes a manager receiving web page request information and storing the web page request information in a database. In another embodiment, the manager receives web page request information from the one or more of the web servers. In another embodiment, the manager receives web page request information from one or more agents each in communication with at least one of the web servers. In another embodiment, the web page request information is stored in a relational database. In another embodiment, the system also includes a console for displaying information to a system operator. In another embodiment, the includes a console that is capable of alerting the system operator to events. In another embodiment, the console is capable of retrieving the web page request information from the database and displaying the web page request information to the system operator.
In another embodiment, the identifier includes a manager that receives web page request information and stores the request information in a database. In another embodiment, the manager receives notification of events indicating problems with one of the web servers. In another embodiment, the events received by the manager are sent by an agent. In another embodiment, the manager is capable of taking corrective action in response to notification of events indicating problems with one of the web servers. In another embodiment, the manager notifies a system operator upon the occurrence of an event. In another embodiment, the manager notifies a system operator when automatic corrective action taken in response to an event caused by a problem does not resolve the problem. In another embodiment, the system includes a version controller for updating web pages on the web servers.
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Abbott Freeland
DeBettencourt Jason
Lara Marco
Yamane Stanley
Black Thomas
Coby Frantz
Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault LLP
Webspective Software, Inc.
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