Global API Routing via Edge Servers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current service architectures face challenges in geographic scaling, flexibility in adding new APIs, cost-effective scaling, and accessing markets with poor network performance, particularly in optimizing CRUD operations across multiple data centers.
Innovation Solution
A global API deployment and routing system that uses a global traffic manager to direct API calls to the closest edge server, which then makes data center-specific calls via a private backend network, ensuring data is properly formatted and returned to the originating device, while configuration servers manage data type mappings and distribute changes across the edge network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a subdomain style URI is used to map services through DNS, then service routing is simplified, but developers without knowledge of service seams cannot use the services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary service layer between clients and backend services. This intermediary layer provides a unified interface that automatically discovers and routes to appropriate services without requiring clients to know service seams or use complex DNS mappings. The intermediary resolves the contradiction by shielding clients from service complexity while maintaining routing functionality.
2Device complexity
If APIs are segmented by service names with subdomain URIs, then routing is straightforward, but geographic scaling becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic routing where service discovery and routing decisions are made at runtime rather than being statically configured through DNS. The system dynamically determines optimal service instances based on geographic location, load, and availability, enabling flexible geographic scaling without changing routing configuration. This resolves the contradiction by making routing adaptive rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a dimensional layer of abstraction by introducing a service discovery and routing layer that operates independently of geographic location. Instead of mapping services directly to geographic domains, the system adds a virtual dimension where services are discovered through a unified interface, and routing is handled by the intermediary layer, enabling geographic scalability without complicating routing configuration.
3Reliability
If multiple data centers are used for user data storage, then service availability is improved, but optimization of CRUD operations becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer that sits between clients and multiple data centers. This intermediary optimizes CRUD operations by intelligently routing requests to appropriate data centers based on data location, network conditions, and service requirements. The intermediary handles the complexity of multi-data center coordination, enabling optimized operations while maintaining availability across distributed locations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system are provided for implementing a global application program interface and providing routing to a number of services. A global traffic manager may receive an application program interface call from an originating processing device via an open public network. The global traffic manager may return an address of a closest edge server, with respect to the originating processing device, from among a number of edge servers, in an edge network. The edge server may obtain a location having data corresponding to the application program interface call and may make a data specific application program interface call to a data center corresponding to the obtained location. The edge server may receive data from the data center and may ensure that the data is in a proper format. The edge server may send the data to the originating processing device via the open public network.