Combining stateless and stateful server load balancing

1. A method for processing data packets sent over a communication session between a host and a server by a service gateway, comprising:

processing a data packet using a hybrid-stateful processing method by the service gateway, the hybrid-stateful processing method utilizing a service session table;

checking by the service gateway whether a hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied;

in response to determining that the hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied, changing to a hybrid-stateless processing method for a subsequently received data packet by the service gateway, the hybrid-stateless processing method utilizing a service mapping table; and

in response to determining that the hybrid-stateless condition is not satisfied, processing the subsequently received data packet using the hybrid-stateful processing method by the service gateway.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the checking by the service gateway whether the hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied comprises:

comparing a time duration stored in memory against a predetermined time duration by the service gateway;

determining whether the time duration stored in memory exceeds the predetermined time duration;

in response to determining that the time duration stored in memory exceeds the predetermined time duration, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the time duration stored in memory does not exceed the predetermined time duration, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateless condition is not satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the checking by the service gateway whether a hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied comprises receiving from an administrator the hybrid-stateless condition by the service gateway.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the administrator comprises:

a human operator;

a network management system; or

a storage medium storing the hybrid-stateless condition.

5. A system, comprising:

a service gateway comprising a processor and a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to:

process a data packet using a hybrid-stateful processing method, the hybrid-stateful processing method utilizing a service session table at the service gateway;

check whether a hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied;

in response to determining that the hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied, change to a hybrid-stateless processing method for a subsequently received data packet, the hybrid-stateless processing method utilizing a service mapping table at the service gateway; and

in response to determining that the hybrid-stateless condition is not satisfied, process the subsequently received data packet using the hybrid-stateful processing method.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the check whether a hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied comprises:

compare a time duration stored in memory against a predetermined time duration by the service gateway;

determine whether the time duration stored in memory exceeds the predetermined time duration;

in response to determining that the time duration stored in memory exceeds the predetermined time duration, determine by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the time duration stored in memory does not exceed the predetermined time duration, determine by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateless condition is not satisfied.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the check whether a hybrid-stateless condition is satisfied comprises receiving from an administrator the hybrid-stateless condition by the service gateway.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the administrator comprises:

a human operator;

a network management system; or

a storage medium storing the hybrid-stateless condition.

9. A method for processing data packets sent over a communication session between a host and a server by a service gateway, comprising:

processing a data packet using a hybrid-stateless processing method by the service gateway, the hybrid-stateless processing method utilizing a service mapping table;

checking by the service gateway whether a hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied;

in response to determining that the hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied, changing to a hybrid-stateful processing method for a subsequently received data packet by the service gateway, the hybrid-stateful processing method utilizing a service session table; and

in response to determining that the hybrid-stateful condition is not satisfied, processing the subsequently received data packet using the hybrid-stateless processing method by the service gateway.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hybrid-stateful condition comprises a predetermined session rate, wherein the checking by the service gateway whether the hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied comprises:

calculating a session rate for a plurality of communication sessions received by the service gateway;

determining whether the calculated session rate is less than the predetermined session rate by the service gateway;

in response to determining that the calculated session rate is less than the predetermined session rate, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the calculated session rate is greater than or equals the predetermined session rate, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateful condition is not satisfied.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the calculated session rate comprises:

a difference between a count of received service requests and a count of received service termination requests over a predetermined period of time or

a count of service requests over the predetermined period of time.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hybrid-stateful condition comprises a predetermined session table utilization, wherein the checking by the service gateway whether a hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied comprises:

counting a number of stored session entries in the session table by the service gateway;

determining whether the number of stored session entries does not exceed the predetermined session table utilization by the service gateway;

in response to determining that the number of stored session entries does not exceed the predetermined session table utilization, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the number of stored session entries exceeds the predetermined session table utilization, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateful condition is not satisfied.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the checking by the service gateway whether the hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied comprises:

comparing a time duration stored in memory against a predetermined time duration by the service gateway;

determining whether the time duration stored in memory exceeds the predetermined time duration;

in response to determining that the time duration stored in memory exceeds the predetermined time duration, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied; and

in response to determining that the time duration stored in memory does not exceed the predetermined time duration, determining by the service gateway that the hybrid-stateful condition is not satisfied.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the checking by the service gateway whether a hybrid-stateful condition is satisfied comprises receiving from an administrator the hybrid-stateful condition by the service gateway.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the administrator comprises:

a human operator;

a network management system; or

a storage medium storing the hybrid-stateful condition.