Load balanced network file accesses
A system comprises control circuitry that is operable to assign a first of a plurality of computing devices to serve file system requests destined for any of a first plurality of network addresses; assign a second of the computing devices to serve file system requests destined for any of a second plurality of network addresses; maintain statistics regarding file system requests sent to each of the first plurality of network addresses and the second plurality of network addresses; and reassign, based on the statistics, the first of the computing devices to serve file system requests destined for a selected one of the second plurality of network addresses.
1. A system comprising:
a first computing device, associated with a first network adapter, configured to serve a file system request to any of a first plurality of virtual IP addresses that represent multiple resources in the system;
a second computing device, associated with a second network adapter, configured to serve a file system request to any of a second plurality of virtual IP addresses that is distinct from the first plurality of virtual IP addresses, wherein the first network adapter and the second network adapter are physically located on separate devices in a cluster;
a third computing device, associated with a third network adapter, configured to serve a file system request to any of a third plurality of virtual IP addresses that is distinct from both the first and second pluralities of virtual IP addresses; and
a device coordinator configured to achieve load balancing after a network event, by reassigning each of the first plurality of virtual IP addresses to be served by one of the second computing device and the third computing device, wherein:
the reassigning of virtual IP addresses is performed within the cluster, and
the reassigning of the virtual IP addresses does not involve a reassigning of physical IP addresses.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network event is a failure of the first computing device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network event is a lapse of a determined time interval.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network event is detection of a load imbalance among the first computing device and the second computing device.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reassigning is according to a count of how many of file system requests are sent to each particular virtual IP address.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reassigning is according to a count of a number of bits sent to or from each particular virtual IP address.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reassigning is according to an indication of an amount of time required to serve a file system request sent to each particular virtual IP address.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reassigning is according to a goal of uniform distribution of file system requests.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device coordinator comprises one or more network adaptors.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device is a virtual machine.
11. A method comprising:
serving a file system request from a first computing device, associated with a first network adapter, to any of a first plurality of virtual IP addresses that represent multiple resources in the system;
serving a file system request from a second computing device, associated with a second network adapter, to any of a second plurality of virtual IP addresses that is distinct from the first plurality of virtual IP addresses, wherein the first network adapter and the second network adapter are physically located on separate devices in a cluster;
serving a file system request from a third computing device, associated with a third network adapter, to any of a third plurality of virtual IP addresses that is distinct from both the first and second pluralities of virtual IP addresses; and
load balancing after a network event, via a device coordinator, by reassigning each of the first plurality of virtual IP addresses to be served by one of the second computing device and the third computing device, wherein:
the reassigning of virtual IP addresses is performed within the cluster, and
the reassigning of the virtual IP addresses does not involve a reassigning of physical IP addresses.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network event is a failure of the first computing device.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network event is a lapse of a determined time interval.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the network event is detection of a load imbalance among the first computing device and the second computing device.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reassigning is according to a count of how many of file system requests are sent to each particular virtual IP address.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reassigning is according to a count of a number of bits sent to or from each particular virtual IP address.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reassigning is according to an indication of an amount of time required to serve a file system request sent to each particular virtual IP address.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reassigning is according to a goal of uniform distribution of file system requests.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the device coordinator comprises one or more network adaptors.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first computing device is a virtual machine.