US6735631B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and system for networking redirecting
Assignee: BALL HARLEY R SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY LP
•
Filing: 1998-02-10
•
Granted: 2004-05-11
•
Expires: 2018-02-10
Abstract
Abstract A network and method of providing near 100% availability of services is provided. According to one feature, redirectors are implemented to direct network traffic to any of two or more application processors providing the same service. The redirectors are provided in data paths at network access points and at data centers with the application processors. The redirectors re-route traffic to other application processors when one processor is unavailable and load balance between available processors. To load balance, the redirectors collect various network management statistics from the processors to determine the most responsive processor for receiving traffic. The various network management statistics are shared among the redirectors for efficient load balancing.
Inventors
- 👤 Terry Lee Oehrke
- 👤 Scott Christopher Wells
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 14:09
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/10; H04L67/1001; H04L67/1004; H04L67/1008; H04L41/00; H04L41/12; H04L67/101
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
154 words
A method for directing Internet Protocol (IP) requests between at least first and second application servers, the first and second servers applying substantially the same application, the method comprising the steps of: (a) collecting first server statistics from the first application server with a first redirection processor, the first server statistics comprising Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Information Base (MIB) information; (b) collecting second server statistics from the second application server with said first redirection processor, the second server statistics comprising SNMP MIB information; (c) sending said first and second server statistics from said first redirection processor to a second redirection processor, wherein said second redirection processor is located at a geographically disparate location from said first redirection processor; and (d) directing at least one IP request to one of said first and second application servers in response to the first and second server statistics residing on said first and second redirection processors.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
154 words
A method for directing Internet Protocol (IP) requests between at least first and second application servers, the first and second servers applying substantially the same application, the method comprising the steps of: (a) collecting first server statistics from the first application server with a first redirection processor, the first server statistics comprising Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Information Base (MIB) information; (b) collecting second server statistics from the second application server with said first redirection processor, the second server statistics comprising SNMP MIB information; (c) sending said first and second server statistics from said first redirection processor to a second redirection processor, wherein said second redirection processor is located at a geographically disparate location from said first redirection processor; and (d) directing at least one IP request to one of said first and second application servers in response to the first and second server statistics residing on said first and second redirection processors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the steps (a) and (b) comprise collecting SNMP MIB information associated with data selected from the group of: availability, processor usage, data storage usage and combinations thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step (d) comprises changing the destination address associated with the request.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the step (d) comprises: (d1) changing the destination address associated with a first plurality of IP requests, including the at least one IP request, to a first address associated with the first application server; (d2) directing the first plurality of IP requests to the first application server; and (d3) directing a second plurality of IP requests to the second application server.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the steps (a) and (b) comprise collecting the first and second server statistics from the first and second application servers, respectively, the first and second application servers located at substantially the same geographic location.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the step (c) comprises sending said first and second server statistics in a method selected from the group of: (c1) querying the first redirection processor for said first and second server statistics with the second redirection processor; (c2) sending said first and second server statistics in a Transmission Control Protocol format; (c3) sending said first and second server statistics in a User Datagram Protocol format; and (c4) combinations thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
93 words
The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of: (e) sending said first and second server statistics from the first redirection processor to a third redirection processor in an IP traffic path, the second and third redirection processors associated with first and second network access points at locations disparate from the first redirection processor; and (f) directing the at least one IP request and at least a second IP request with the second and third redirection processors, respectively, to the first redirection processor in response to said first and second server statistics.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the one IP request corresponds to a source address, the method further comprising the step (e) of directing subsequent IP requests associated with the source address to the one of said first and second application servers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the step (e) comprises directing subsequent IP requests in response to the application.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
147 words
A network for directing Internet Protocol (IP) requests between a plurality of application servers, the plurality of servers applying, in part, substantially the same application, the network comprising: (a) at least first and second application processors; (b) a first redirection processor capable of collecting first and second server statistics from the first and second application processors, respectively, the first and second server statistics comprising Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Information Base (MIB) information; (c) a second redirection processor located at a geographically disparate location from the first redirection processor, said second redirection processor operable to receive said first and second server statistics from the first redirection processor; and (d) wherein the first redirection processor directs at least one IP request to one of said first and second application servers in response to the first and second server statistics residing on said first and second redirection processors.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
147 words
A network for directing Internet Protocol (IP) requests between a plurality of application servers, the plurality of servers applying, in part, substantially the same application, the network comprising: (a) at least first and second application processors; (b) a first redirection processor capable of collecting first and second server statistics from the first and second application processors, respectively, the first and second server statistics comprising Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Information Base (MIB) information; (c) a second redirection processor located at a geographically disparate location from the first redirection processor, said second redirection processor operable to receive said first and second server statistics from the first redirection processor; and (d) wherein the first redirection processor directs at least one IP request to one of said first and second application servers in response to the first and second server statistics residing on said first and second redirection processors.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The network of claim 10 wherein the SNMP MIB information comprises data selected from the group of: availability, processor usage, data storage usage and combinations thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The network of claim 10 wherein the first redirection processor changes the destination address associated with the one IP request.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The network of claim 10 wherein the first and second application servers are at substantially the same geographic location.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
76 words
The network of claim 13 wherein said first and second server statistics are provided in response to a means selected from the group of: means for querying the first redirection processor for said first and second server statistics with the second redirection processor, means for sending said first and second server statistics in a Transmission Control Protocol format, means for sending said first and second server statistics in a User Datagram Protocol format, and combinations thereof.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
101 words
The network of claim 13 further comprising: a third redirection processor in an IP traffic path, the third redirection processor operable to receive said first and second server statistics from the first redirection processor; first and second network access points associated with the second and third redirection processors, respectively, the second and third redirection processors at locations disparate from the first redirection processor; and the second and third redirection processors capable of directing the at least one IP request and at least a second IP request, respectively, to the first redirection processor in response to said first and second server statistics.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5293488A
Cited
US5301324A
Cited
US5583996A
Cited
US5812771A
Cited
US5774668A
Cited
US5644720A
Cited
US5915095A
Cited
US5878420A
Cited
US5918021A
Cited
US5774660A
Cited
US6185619B1
Cited
US5978845A
Cited
US6330602B1
Cited
US6067545A
Cited
US6068661A
Cited
US6167427A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-05-11 | 2007-11-10 | 2008-05-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-05-11 | 2011-11-10 | 2012-05-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-05-11 | 2015-11-10 | 2016-05-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |