High performance load balancing and fail over support of internet protocol exchange traffic over multiple network interface cards
US6490632B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 18, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 3, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 18, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L67/10015
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for selecting a network interface card (NIC) to be used to send and receive data packets in an Internetwork Protocol Exchange (IPX) environment using a server computer system having a plurality of NICs coupled thereto. An outgoing data packet is addressed using an IPX address and a socket number. A load balancing scheme is executed in order to select a NIC from the plurality of NICs. In one embodiment, the load balancing scheme is a function of the IPX address; in alternate embodiments, the load balancing scheme is a function of the IPX address and either the destination or source socket number. The media access control (MAC) address that represents the selected NIC is inserted in the outgoing data packet. The data packet is then sent using the selected NIC. In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a system and method for fault tolerance and fail over support. The plurality of NICs each include a filter that is adapted to mask a portion of a MAC address in an incoming data packet received at a NIC such that the MAC address in the incoming data packet is equivalent to the MAC address representing the NIC.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.