Load Balancing Accelerator Adaptation for NAT Packet Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load balancing accelerators are not compatible with half NAT and full NAT load balancers, as they cannot identify matching packets due to changes in IP addresses, leading to inefficient operation and increased programming requirements for integration with existing load balancers.
Innovation Solution
A load balancing accelerator that identifies packet groups using fewer than the conventional five parameters, focusing on parameters not changed by half NAT load balancers, such as source IP address and protocol, to simplify operation and reduce storage needs, while also determining the operation mode of the load balancer to adapt to different forwarding modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the accelerator uses the conventional five parameters (source and destination IP addresses, protocol, and source and destination ports) to identify packet groups, then it can accurately match packets for triangulation load balancers, but it cannot identify matching packets for half NAT and full NAT load balancers due to IP address changes
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerator dynamically adapts its packet identification parameters based on the detected load balancer type. For triangulation load balancers, it uses the conventional five parameters including destination IP address. For half NAT load balancers, it switches to using only source IP address, source port, and protocol. This dynamic parameter selection enables compatibility across different load balancer types while maintaining reliable packet matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the set of parameters used for packet identification based on the load balancer's operation mode. When operating with half NAT load balancers, the accelerator modifies its matching criteria to exclude destination IP address and destination port, which are altered by the load balancer. This parameter change allows the accelerator to successfully identify and forward packets for half NAT and full NAT load balancers.
2Productivity
If the accelerator uses five parameters to identify communication sessions, then it can provide comprehensive packet grouping, but it increases storage requirements and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerator uses a reduced set of parameters (fewer than the conventional five) for packet identification when working with half NAT load balancers. By using only source IP address, source port, and protocol instead of all five parameters, the accelerator achieves sufficient packet grouping accuracy while reducing storage requirements and operational complexity in the acceleration table.
3Productivity
If new load balancers are added or old ones replaced, then system capacity and performance can be improved, but intensive programming is required to ensure the new balancer operates according to the operation rules of the old load balancer
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerator automatically detects the operation mode of the load balancer by analyzing packet characteristics and independently configures its packet identification parameters accordingly. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual programming to match specific load balancer types, allowing new load balancers to be added or replaced without intensive reprogramming while maintaining system performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The accelerator is designed to work universally with multiple types of load balancers (triangulation, half NAT, and full NAT) by automatically adapting its operation. This multi-functionality allows a single accelerator implementation to replace or supplement various load balancer types without requiring type-specific programming, thereby improving system capacity while reducing programming complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of accelerating the operation of a load balancer by an accelerator switch. The method includes receiving, by the accelerator switch, packets directed to the load balancer, determining, for at least some of the received packets, whether the packets match an entry of a list of packet groups, by comparing fewer than five parameters of the packets to respective fields of entries of the list, and forwarding, by the accelerator switch, at least some of the received packets, directly to their destination, responsive to the determining.