Traffic delivery using anycast and end user-based mapping in an overlay network

An apparatus associated with an anycast address and operating in an overlay network, comprising:

• a processor;
• computer memory associated with the processor, the computer memory holding program code executed by the processor and configured to facilitate a triangle-based routing operation among a client, the apparatus, and a server of the overlay network in response to a determination that a set of clients is associated with a single recursive resolver and wherein individual clients of the set of clients are diversely-located behind that recursive resolver, the triangle-based routing operation returning a response directly to the client of the set of clients that bypasses the apparatus, wherein the program code is configured to perform the following ordered operations:
• responsive to receipt from the client of a packet associated with a request, the packet being received on an anycast IP address, issue a mapping request having associated therewith an IP address, or a range of IP addresses, associated with the client from which the request originates;
• responsive to the mapping request, receive at least one IP address associated with a set of one or more server machines, the IP address of the set of one or more server machines being determined based at least in part on the IP address, or the range of IP addresses, associated with the client, server machine liveness and load, and Internet traffic conditions, and wherein the at least one IP address of the set of server machines is associated with a deployment of server machines in the overlay network distinct from a location of the apparatus;
• and
• forward the packet associated with the request to a server machine of the set of one or more server machines for handling by the server machine.