Systems and methods for content-aware load balancing

Abstract

Improved load balancing techniques are disclosed. For example, in one illustrative aspect of the invention, a method of satisfying requests in a system comprised of a plurality of servers comprises the following steps. At least one load balancer is provided for routing requests to the plurality of servers. At the at least one load balancer, a request sent from a client is obtained. At the at least one load balancer, the request is examined. Costs of satisfying the request by at least two of the plurality of servers are estimated. The estimation is based on at least one of a number and a cost of at least one remote access for satisfying the request. The request is routed to a server of the plurality of servers with a low estimated cost of satisfying the request.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention generally relates to information systems and, more particularly, to techniques for content-aware load balancing in such information systems. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In general, an information system is a data processing system that provides some form of response to a user upon a user's request. The Internet or World Wide Web (WWW or the “web”) is easily the most ubiquitous information system that exists today. [0003] Scalable web sites associated with the Internet typically comprise one or more load balancers for routing requests to a plurality of servers. The techniques used for load balancing the requests can have a significant effect on performance of the overall system. If requests are routed in a content-aware fashion, then the load balancer is aware of the contents of a request and can make more intelligent routing decisions. [0004] One of the drawbacks to content-aware routing compared with content-unaware routing...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] In a fourth aspect of the invention, apparatus for satisfying requests from at least one client in a system comprised of a plurality of servers comprises a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to: (i) obtain a request from a client; (ii) examine content of the request; and (iii) estimate costs of satisfying the request by at least two of the plurality of servers based on estimating at least one of a number and a cost of at least one remote access for satisfying the request. The request may then be routed to a server of the plurality of servers with a low estimated cost of satisfying the request.

[0014] In a fifth aspect of the invention, a method of satisfying requests from at least one client in a system comprised of a plurality of servers comprises the following steps. A request is obtained from a client. Content of the request is examined. Costs of satisfying the request by at least two of the plurality of servers are estimated. The estimation is based at least one of a number and a cost of at least one remote access for satisfying the request. The request may then be routed to a server of the plurality of servers with a low estimated cost of satisfying the request.

[0015] In a sixth aspect of the invention, an article of manufacture for use in satisfying requests from at least one client in a system comprised of a plurality of servers comprises a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of obtaining a request from a client, examining content of the request, and estimating costs of satisfying the request by at least two of the plurality of servers based on estimating at least one of a number and a cost of at least one remote access for satisfying the request. The request may then be routed to a server of the plurality of servers with a low estimated cost of satisfying the request.

[0016] In a seventh aspect of the invention, a method of providing a load balancing service comprises the step of a service provider providing a service to a customer which comprises obtaining a request from a client, examining content of the request, and estimating costs of satisfying the request by at least two of the plurality of servers based on estimating at least one of a number and a cost of at least one remote access for satisfying the request. The request may then be routed to a server of the plurality of servers with a low estimated cost of satisfying the request.

Problems solved by technology

One of the drawbacks to content-aware routing compared with content-unaware routing is that content-aware routing usually incurs significantly more overhead.

However, the content-aware routing disclosed in the above-referenced work is primarily intended for static requests and thus uses techniques for selecting servers which are not always well suited for dynamic requests.

Thus, existing work in content-aware routing is not sufficient to handle the data partitioning problems which occur in major deployments.

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