Granted Patent B2

US 7,640,298 · App. 11/265,558 · Granted Dec 29, 2009

Abstract

Claims (76)

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to:

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the request packet received by the second computing device via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and the second local-area network, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to:

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is further configured to receive a third information packet via the global computer network and the second local-area network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device comprises a network interface card.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the second computing device is configured to be coupled to the client via at least the first router device and the global computer network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is configured to output the second information packet to the global computer network via the second local-area network and a second router.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first computing device is configured to output the second information packet to the global computer network via the second local-area network and the first router.

7. A method performed by a first computing device of an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

outputting a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and the second local area network such that the second information packet appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to:

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network; and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

the first computing device receiving a third information packet via the global computer network and the second local-area network.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first computing device comprises a network interface card.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the second computing device is coupled to the client via at least the first router device and the global computer network.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the first computing device outputs the second information packet to the global information network via at least the second local-area network and a second router.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the first computing device outputs the second information packet to the global information network via at least the second local-area network and the first router.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the second computing device comprises a network interface card.

14. A method performed by a first computing device of an information processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

outputting a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and a third local area network that bypasses the second computing device, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to:

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network; and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

15. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to:

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and the second local-area network, such that the second information packet appears to the client to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second computing device comprises an intelligent network interface card;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to:

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

16. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to:

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client via the global computer network and a third local-area network that connects at least the first computing device and the global computer network, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but appears to have originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to:

bypass the first local-area network;

connect at least the first router to the second computing device; and

connect the first computing device to the global computer network, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

17. An information processing system, comprising:

a first computing device configured to:

receive, from a second computing device via a first local-area network connecting at least the first computing device and the second computing device, a first information packet, the second computing device configured to transmit the first information packet in response to receiving a request packet from a client, the second computing device configured to receive the request packet via a global computer network, a first router, and a second local-area network; and

output a second information packet to the client directly via the global computer network, such that the second information packet bypasses the second computing device but contains information indicative that the second information packet originated from the second computing device;

wherein the second local-area network is configured to:

bypass the first local-area network; and

connect at least the first router to the second computing device, and

wherein the first information packet includes at least the request packet and a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first computing device, an address of the second computing device, and an address of the client.

18. A server farm, comprising:

a first device; and

a second device;

wherein the first device is configured to be connected to the second device via a network;

wherein the first device is configured to receive a client information packet from a global computer network via a first local-area network, and to forward the client information packet along with a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first device, an address of the second device, and an address of the client, to the second device via a second local-area network, and

wherein the second device is configured to bypass the first device when outputting a second information packet to the global computer network via the first local area network, and wherein the second information packet appears to have originated from the first device.

19. A server farm, comprising:

a first device; and

a second device;

wherein the first device is configured to be connected to the second device via a network;

wherein the first device is configured to receive a client information packet from a global computer network via a first local-area network, and to forward the client information packet along with a reference to a data structure representative of a connection with the client, the data structure including at least an address of the first device, an address of the second device, and an address of the client, to the second device via a second local-area network, and

wherein the second device is configured to bypass the first device when outputting a second information packet to the global computer network via a third local area network, and wherein the second information packet contains information indicative that the second information packet originated from the first device.

Assignments (8)