Application-to-Application Communication via Internal InfiniBand VIP
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In enterprise computer systems like Oracle Exalogic middleware machines, application-to-application communication is hindered by the need to route requests through the external load balancer, leading to slower communication speeds and reduced system performance due to the use of slower Ethernet over InfiniBand (EoIB) networks instead of the faster internal InfiniBand (IB) network.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where each traffic director instance is associated with a virtual Internet Protocol (VIP) address accessible via the high-speed internal InfiniBand network, allowing hosted applications to communicate directly over the IB network without relying on the external load balancer, and configuring traffic directors as part of a failover group for load-balancing and redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hard partition is used to route requests between traffic director instances and application hosts, then system security and network isolation are improved, but application-to-application communication speed deteriorates due to forced routing through external load balancer via slower EoIB network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network communication paths by introducing a dedicated internal IB network path for application-to-application communication, separate from the external EoIB network path used for client requests. This segmentation allows different communication patterns to use optimized paths: internal applications use the fast IB network while external clients use the EoIB network, resolving the speed penalty imposed by hard partitioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the internal IB network with VIP addressing) that mediates between the hard partitioning requirement and the need for fast communication. The IB network acts as an intermediary layer that bypasses the external load balancer for internal traffic while maintaining the security boundaries of the hard partition architecture.
2Reliability
If requests are routed through the external load balancer, then system security and traffic management are improved, but overall system performance deteriorates due to the slower EoIB network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments traffic management functions by keeping the external load balancer for client traffic while introducing internal IB network routing for application-to-application traffic. This segmentation allows performance-optimized paths for internal communication without compromising the security and management benefits of external load balancing for external traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal IB network serves as an intermediary that provides a high-speed alternative path for internal application communication, bypassing the external load balancer infrastructure. This intermediary path maintains productivity for internal operations while the external load balancer continues to provide secure traffic management for external clients.
3Productivity
If VIP addresses are made accessible via internal IB network, then application communication efficiency is improved, but network complexity increases due to dual network path management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes VIP addresses universal by allowing them to be accessed through multiple network paths: the traditional external EoIB network path and the new internal IB network path. This multi-functionality of VIP addresses simplifies the overall system by using the same addressing scheme for both external and internal communication, reducing the complexity that would arise from maintaining separate addressing schemes.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method useful in enterprise deployment, for enabling application-to-application communication in an enterprise computer system, for example a middleware machine. The system can include a plurality of application hosts and managed servers which receive requests at an external load balancer, via an Ethernet over InfiniBand (EoIB) network, together with a plurality of web hosts and traffic directors. Each traffic director instance can be associated with a virtual Internet Protocol (VIP) address that is accessible via a high-speed internal InfiniBand (IB) network. Hosted applications within the enterprise computer system can communicate with each other, over the IB network, using a VIP address. Such application-to-application wiring avoids the need to communicate internal application requests via the external load balancer.