Method and architecture for a scalable application and security switch using multi-level load balancing
View Patent ↗A switch architecture and method provides scaling through multi-level load balancing of flows across data and application processing planes. An input/output module receives a communication session flow (forward) from a client device and selects one of a plurality of data processors to process the flow. The selected data processor determines the level of processing needed for the forward flow and selects an application processor from a plurality of such application processors. The application processor generates a session structure identifying actions to be performed on the forward flow and transfers the session structure to the selected data processor to perform the actions on the forward flow. The application processor also predictively generates and offloads a session structure for the associated reverse flow. If the reverse session structure is offloaded to a different data processor, either the forward or reverse flow redirects packets, or is redirected, to the data processor hosting the other flow. Typically, the redirection is accomplished by offloading a redirection structure as the offloaded session structure.
1. An application switch comprising:
a first I/O interface coupled to a backplane, the first I/O interface configured for receiving one or more packets in a forward flow from a first client device;
a plurality of data processors, each data processor communicatively coupled to the first I/O interface via the backplane and configured for operating upon received forward flow packets;
a plurality of application processors communicatively coupled to the plurality of data processors via the backplane, the application processors configured for generating a session structure including instructions for processing received forward flow packets; and
wherein the first I/O interface is further configured for executing a data processor load balancing algorithm and selecting a target one of the plurality of data processors to process the forward flow packets, wherein the selected data processor is further configured for executing an application processor load balancing algorithm and selecting one of the plurality of application processors to generate the session structure, and the selected application processor is further configured for transferring the session structure to the selected target data processor for processing the forward flow packets.
2. The switch in accordance with claim 1 wherein the session structure comprises one or more actions to be performed on the forward flow packets.
3. A method of load balancing communication connection sessions received at an application switch, the method comprising:
receiving a forward flow of a communication session from a source device;
selecting a one of a plurality of data processors to process the forward flow in accordance with a data processor load balancing algorithm;
transferring the forward flow to the data processor selected to process the forward flow;
determining from the forward flow a level of application processing needed for the forward flow;
transferring the forward flow to an application processor configured for providing the determined level of application processing;
generating a forward session structure for the forward flow that identifies one or more actions to be performed on the forward flow; and
offloading the forward session structure to the selected data processor and processing the forward flow in accordance therewith.
4. The method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising:
selecting a one of a plurality of application processors to process the forward flow in accordance with an application load balancing algorithm; and
transferring the forward flow to the selected application processor.
5. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:
receiving a forward flow of a communication session from a source device;
selecting a one of a plurality of data processors to process the forward flow in accordance with a data processor load balancing algorithm;
transferring the forward flow to the data processor selected to process the forward flow;
determining from the forward flow a level of application processing needed for the forward flow;
transferring the forward flow to an application processor configured for providing the determined level of application processing;
generating a forward session structure for the forward flow that identifies one or more actions to be performed on the forward flow; and
offloading the forward session structure to the selected data processor and processing the forward flow in accordance therewith.
6. The computer program in accordance with claim 5 wherein the computer program further comprises computer readable program code for:
selecting a one of a plurality of application processors to process the forward flow in accordance with an application load balancing algorithm; and
transferring the forward flow to the selected application processor.
7. The computer program in accordance with claim 5 wherein the computer program further comprises computer readable program code for:
redirecting a reverse flow to the data processor selected to process the forward flow and processing the reverse flow in accordance with the forward session structure.