Hosting a network service on a cluster of servers using a single-address image
US6470389B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 14, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 22, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 14, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/16
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for hosting a network service on a cluster of servers, each including a primary and a secondary Internet Protocol (IP) address. A common cluster address is assigned as the secondary address to each of the servers in the cluster. The cluster address may be assigned in UNIX-based servers using an ifconfig alias option, and may be a ghost IP address that is not used as a primary address by any server in the cluster. Client requests directed to the cluster address are dispatched such that only one of the servers of the cluster responds to a given client request. The dispatching may use a routing-based technique, in which all client requests directed to the cluster address are routed to a dispatcher connected to the local network of the server cluster. The dispatcher then applies a hash function to the client IP address in order to select one of the servers to process the request. The dispatching may alternatively use a broadcast-based technique, in which a router broadcasts client requests having the cluster address to all of the servers of the cluster over a local network. The servers then each provide a filtering routine, which may involve comparing a server ide…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.