Cloud Reachability Server for Service Availability Checks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack an efficient method to determine the reachability and availability of services provided by a server over public IP connections, particularly in cloud-based systems, which is crucial for external clients but often insecure and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based infrastructure with a reachability server is used to check the availability of services by sending requests from a range of public IP addresses, determining service availability based on connection responses within a predetermined time interval, without requiring acknowledgments from the reachability server, ensuring secure and accurate assessments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cloud-based infrastructure is used to check service availability over public IP connections, then the reliability of reachability assessment is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A reachability server is introduced as an intermediary component within the cloud-based infrastructure to mediate between external clients and services on the private network. The reachability server receives connection requests from external clients, performs reachability checks by attempting to establish connections to target services, and returns assessment results. This intermediary approach improves reliability by providing a dedicated, controlled mechanism for reachability verification while managing system complexity through modular architecture where the reachability server handles specialized functions independently.
2Measurement precision
If connection checks are performed from multiple public IP addresses, then the accuracy of reachability determination is improved, but the time required for assessment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the reachability server with knowledge of multiple public IP addresses that will be used for connection checks. Before actual service availability assessment, the reachability server is prepared with a pool of public IP addresses and the target service information. When a reachability check is initiated, the server can immediately begin connections from multiple pre-assigned IP addresses simultaneously, rather than sequentially discovering or selecting addresses during the assessment process. This preliminary preparation reduces assessment time while maintaining accuracy through multi-source verification.
3Reliability
If the reachability server connects to services to perform checks, then the security of the assessment process is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reachability server implements self-service mechanisms by autonomously managing its own connection pool and authentication credentials. The server automatically establishes and maintains connections to target services using pre-configured credentials, performs reachability checks independently without requiring external intervention, and manages its own state tracking for ongoing assessments. This self-service capability improves security by eliminating the need for external agents or complex multi-party authentication protocols, while the modular design keeps device complexity manageable through clear separation of concerns between the reachability server and other system components.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies are described for using a cloud-based computer system to access services provided by a particular server over public Internet Protocol (IP) connections. In one aspect, a system includes a first computer system configured to run the particular server to provide a first service over public IP connections; and a second computer system configured to run a second server, where the particular server transmits, over public IP connections, a request for the second server to check the first service, where, responsive to receipt of the request for the second server to check the first service, the second server provides, to the particular server over public IP connections, information relating to whether the first service is available over public IP connections, and where the particular server updates an availability status of the first service over public IP connections based on the information provided by the second server.