Application US20150358401

LOAD BALANCING WITH LAYERED EDGE SERVERS
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US20150358401

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for controlling a node with a domain name server (“DNS”) and an associated edge server (“ES”) of a network to load balance traffic for the associated ES, the computer-executable instructions comprising instruction that when executed: (8) (3)

access a DNS anycast Internet Protocol (“IP”) address for the DNS and fully qualified domain name (“FQDN”), the node being assigned to a layer of nodes from an innermost layer to an outermost layer, the DNS anycast IP address being for the DNSs of the assigned layer, the FQDN being for the assigned layer;

announce the DNS anycast IP address; and

when a request to resolve the FQDN for the assigned layer is received by the DNS, when the load on the associated ES indicates that the DNS should not be offloading load from the associated ES, handle the request by returning an ES anycast IP address for the associated ES; and

when the load on the associated ES indicates that the DNS request should be offloading load from the associated ES, offload the request by returning the FQDN of an inner layer.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the DNS and the associated ES execute on the same computer. (0)

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the DNS and the associated ES are in geographic proximity and connected via the same Internet service provider (“ISP”) to increase the chance of a client that sent the request having its subsequent requests sent to the returned ES anycast IP address handled by the associated ES. (0)

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising instructions that when executed announce the ES anycast IP address for the associated ES. (0)

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein when the load on the associated ES is to be reduced, offloading a fraction of the received requests. (0)

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the number and geographic distribution of DNSs and associated ESs assigned to a layer increases at each outer layer. (1) (0)

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein each node is assigned to a layer and all outer layers of the layer. (0)

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein a node assigned to multiple layers offloads requests to a layer that is inner from its innermost assigned layer. (0)

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the node includes a load controller and the instructions further include instructions that when executed monitor load on the associated ES and direct the DNS when to offload. (1) (0)

12. An edge server node comprising: (1) (3)

an edge server (“ES”);

a domain name server (“DNS”) that is assigned to a layer of edge server nodes, each layer of edge server nodes having a DNS anycast Internet Protocol (“IP”) address for the DNSs of that layer and a fully qualified domain name (“FQDN”) for that layer, the DNS including a component that either handles or offloads requests to resolve the FQDN for the assigned layer to balance load on the edge server, a request being offloaded by returning the FQDN for another layer; and

a load controller that monitors load on the ES and directs the DNS to offload requests to reduce the load on the ES.

13. The edge server node of claim 12 wherein the DNS, ES, and load controller execute on the same computing device. (0)

14. A method of load balancing for systems, comprising: (6) (3)

associating each system in a first group of systems and identifier servers (“NSs”) with a NS in the first group and each system in a second group of systems and NSs with a NS in the second group;

assigning a first NS anycast identifier to the NSs in the first group and a first identifier to the systems in the first group, and a second NS anycast identifier to the NSs in the second group and a second identifier to the systems in the second group; and

when a first receiving NS in the first group receives a request sent to the first NS anycast identifier for resolution of the first identifier, when the load on the system associated with the first receiving NS should be handled by the associated system, handling the request by the first receiving NS by returning an identifier of the associated system; and

when the load on the system associated with the first receiving NS should not be handled by the associated system, offloading the request by returning the second identifier so that a second receiving NS of the second group can handle the request and return an identifier of the system of the second group associated with the second receiving NS.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the systems are edge servers of a content distribution network. (0)

16. The method of claim 14 wherein a system and its associated NS are in geographic proximity and connected via the same Internet service provider (“ISP”) to increase the chance of a client, that sends the request to a receiving NS, having its subsequent requests sent to the returned identifier handled by the system associated with that receiving NS when the returned identifier is an anycasting identifier. (0)

17. The method of claim 14 including assigning a first system anycast identifier to the systems in the first group and a second system anycast identifier to the systems in the second group. (0)

18. The method of claim 14 including assigning the first NS anycast IP identifier to a NS in the second group so that that NS can handle requests sent to the first NS anycast identifier and requests sent to the second NS anycast identifier. (0)

19. The method of claim 14 wherein a load controller monitors load on a computer executing a system and directs the associated NS to offload requests when the monitored load satisfied an offloading criterion. (0)

20. The method of claim 14 including (0) (3)

associating each system in a third group of systems and NSs with a NS in the third group;

assigning a third NS anycast identifier to the NSs in the third group and a third identifier to the systems in the third group; and

when the second receiving NS in the second group receives a request sent to the second NS anycast identifier for resolution of the second identifier, when load on the system associated with the second receiving NS is not to be offloaded, handling the request by the second receiving NS by returning an identifier of the associated system; and

when load on the system associated with the second receiving NS is to be offloaded, offloading the request by returning the third identifier so that a third receiving NS of the third group can handle the request and return an identifier of the system of the third group associated with the third receiving NS.

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Application US20150358401

LOAD BALANCING WITH LAYERED EDGE SERVERS

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