Regional Data Center Load Balancing Architecture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cloud computing data centers face challenges in efficiently managing and balancing workload across multiple regions, leading to potential resource exhaustion and increased latency, especially as demand fluctuates.

Innovation Solution

A regional data center system is implemented, comprising multiple data centers configured to process region-specific requests, with load balancing capabilities that allow requests to be distributed among data centers within the system, ensuring efficient resource utilization and low latency by selecting the most appropriate data center for processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single data center is used to handle all region-specific requests, then the system structure is simple, but the computing resources may be exhausted and latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource availabilityVSAvoiddata center system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides a single data center into multiple regional data centers, each serving specific geographic regions. This segmentation allows workload distribution across multiple facilities, preventing resource exhaustion in any single location while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a geographic dimension to data center deployment by establishing multiple regional data centers across different locations. This spatial distribution enables the system to handle regional requests more efficiently, reducing latency for local users while preventing any single data center from becoming overwhelmed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If multiple data centers are deployed across regions, then resource exhaustion risk is reduced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworkload processing capacityVSAvoiddata center system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a unified data center system where multiple regional data centers can handle any type of request, not just region-specific ones. This multi-functionality allows the system to process workloads flexibly across regions, improving productivity while managing complexity through standardized interfaces and protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a load balancing mechanism that acts as an intermediary between incoming requests and regional data centers. This mediator intelligently routes requests to appropriate data centers based on current workload conditions, thereby improving overall productivity while simplifying the management of multiple data centers through centralized control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If load balancing distributes requests across data centers, then resource utilization improves, but request processing time may increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidrequest processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements load balancing that considers local conditions at each data center, such as current workload, geographic proximity to users, and resource availability. By making routing decisions based on local quality metrics, the system optimizes both resource utilization and response time, preventing unnecessary request forwarding that would increase latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs load balancing mechanisms that proactively monitor and distribute workloads before data centers become overwhelmed. By taking preliminary actions to balance loads in advance, the system maintains high resource utilization efficiency while preventing the time losses that would occur during emergency load redistribution or queue buildup.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of operation

If data centers operate independently, then system management is simple, but workload balancing across regions is inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata center managementVSAvoidworkload distribution efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a load balancing system with feedback mechanisms that continuously monitor workload conditions across regional data centers and automatically adjust request routing accordingly. This feedback loop enables efficient workload distribution while maintaining simple operational management, as the system self-regulates based on real-time conditions without requiring complex manual coordination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2972854B1Distributed data center technology
Publication Date: 2019.07.31 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2972854B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2972854B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2972854B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A regional data center system corresponding to a particular region of the world. The data center system includes multiple data centers, each configured such that region-specific requests for services may be satisfied by any of the data centers. One or more of the data centers may also perform load balancing on received region-specific request. In order to perform load balancing, the receiving data center may itself process the requests, but in some cases may determine that the request is to be processed by another data center within the regional data center system.