Transparent layer 2 redirection of request to single sign in service based on applying policy to content of request

Abstract

The present solution is directed to providing, transparently and seamlessly to any client or server, layer 2 redirection of client requests to any services of a device deployed in parallel to an intermediary device An intermediary device deployed between the client and the server may intercept a client request and check if the request is to be processed by a service provided by one of the devices deployed in parallel with the intermediary device. The service may be any type and form of service or feature for processing, checking or modifying the request, including a firewall, a cache server, a encryption/decryption engine, a security device, an authentication device, an authorization device or any other type and form of service or device described herein. The intermediary device may select the machine to process the request and use layer 2 redirection to the machine. The intermediary device may change a Media Access Control (MAC) address of a destination of the request to a MAC address of the selected machine. Once the selected machine processes the request, the intermediary device may receive from this machine a response to processing the request. The intermediary device may then continue processing the request of the client responsive to the response from the machine or in response to identifying that the response to the request is from that particular selected machine. The forwarding to and processing by the parallel deployed machine may be performed seamlessly and transparently to the server and/or client.