Open Invention Network LLC

Transtech Networks USA, Inc.

Telcordia Technologies, Inc.

Softshield, LLC

Deh-Phone K Hsing

Tsong-Ho Wu

Bo-Chao Cheng

Leonard L Lu

Latha Kant

Yusuf Goksel Goncu

The content-aware application switch and methods thereof intelligently switch client packets to one server among a group of servers in a server farm. The switch uses Layer 7 or application content parsed from a packet to help select the server and to schedule the transmitting of the packet to the server. This enables refined load-balancing and Quality of-Service control tailored to the application being switched. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method includes maintaining a server load metric for each server in a group of servers; parsing application content from a packet; selecting a destination server from the group of servers, wherein selecting the destination server is dependent on the server load metric for each server, assigning a priority to the packet, the priority being dependent on the application content; and dropping the packet if the priority comprises at least one of a predetermined type.

Intelligent switching of client packets among a group of servers

The content-aware application switch and methods thereof intelligently switch client packets to one server among a group of servers in a server farm. The switch uses Layeror application content parsed from a packet to help select the server and to schedule the transmitting of the packet to the server. This enables refined load-balancing and Quality of-Service control tailored to the application being switched. In another aspect of the invention, a slow-start server selection method assigned an initially boosted server load metric to a server newly added to the group of servers under load balancing. This alleviates the problem of the new server being swamped initially due to a very low load metric compared to that of others. In yet another aspect of the invention, a switching method dependent on Layercontent avoids delayed binding in a new TCP session. Layercontent is not available during the initial handshaking phase of a new TCP session. The method uses the Layercontent from a previous session as an estimate to help select the server and uses a default priority to scheduling the transmitting of the handshaking packets. Updated Layercontent available after the handshaking phase is then used to reset the priority for the transmit schedule and becomes available for use in load balancing of the next TCP session.

A content-aware application switch and methods thereof intelligently switch client packets to one server among a group of servers in a server farm. The switch uses Layer 7 or application content parsed from a packet to help select the server and to schedule the transmitting of the packet to the server. This enables refined load-balancing and Quality-of-Service control tailored to the application being switched. In another aspect of the invention, a slow-start server selection method assigned an initially boosted server load metric to a server newly added to the group of servers under load balancing. This alleviates the problem of the new server being swamped initially due to a very low load metric compared to that of others. In yet another aspect of the invention, a switching method dependent on Layer 7 content avoids delayed binding in a new TCP session. Layer 7 content is not available during the initial handshaking phase of a new TCP session. The method uses the Layer 7 content from a previous session as an estimate to help select the server and uses a default priority to scheduling the transmitting of the handshaking packets. Updated Layer 7 content available after the handshaking phase is then used to reset the priority for the transmit schedule and becomes available for use in load balancing of the next TCP session.

Packet switch and method thereof dependent on application content

A content-aware application switch and methods thereof intelligently switch client packets to one server among a group of servers in a server farm. The switch uses Layeror application content parsed from a packet to help select the server and to schedule the transmitting of the packet to the server. This enables refined load-balancing and Quality-of-Service control tailored to the application being switched. In another aspect of the invention, a slow-start server selection method assigned an initially boosted server load metric to a server newly added to the group of servers under load balancing. This alleviates the problem of the new server being swamped initially due to a very low load metric compared to that of others. In yet another aspect of the invention, a switching method dependent on Layercontent avoids delayed binding in a new TCP session. Layercontent is not available during the initial handshaking phase of a new TCP session. The method uses the Layercontent from a previous session as an estimate to help select the server and uses a default priority to scheduling the transmitting of the handshaking packets. Updated Layercontent available after the handshaking phase is then used to reset the priority for the transmit schedule and becomes available for use in load balancing of the next TCP session.

Packet switch with load surge-control and methods thereof

Content-aware application switch and methods thereof

Content-aware web switch without delayed binding and methods thereof

Methods and apparatus for detecting faults and restoring connections in networks including, e.g., ATM networks are described. The restoration methods of the present invention can be applied on an application by application or user by user basis. In accordance with the present invention virtual connections affected by link or node failures are restored through re-routing as opposed to establishing a completely new connection between a source and a destination device. VPI/VCI values are assigned at the time of re-routing thereby avoiding the potential problem of VPI/VCI exhaustion which may be encountered when backup VPI/VCI values are assigned at the time a communication session is initiated. The connection restoration process of the present invention is initiated by a node on the source side of a connection detecting a failure and initiating a re-routing operation or transmitting a message to the source switch to initiate a re-routing operation. A node on the destination device side of a failed connection is used for initiating the release of network resources reserved at the switches which were used as part of the no longer used path of the re-routed call. The destination device side node (switch) detecting a fault transmits a re-route release message to downstream switches. Restoration methods applicable to pre-planned hop-by-hop, pre-planned source routing and dynamic source routing embodiments are described. In one embodiment, ATM assured mode data transport operation on signaling channels is used to detect node and/or link failures.

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Basking Ridge, NJ, United States of America

Deh-Phone K Hsing