Techniques for load balancing over a cluster of subscriber-aware application servers

An apparatus for distributing traffic from an end node in a packet switched network to a cluster of service gateway nodes that host subscriber-aware application servers, comprising:

• means for receiving a control plane message for supporting data plane traffic from a particular subscriber;
• means for determining a particular service gateway node among the cluster of service gateway nodes based on policy-based routing (PBR) for the data plane traffic from the particular subscriber;
• and
• means for sending a message based on the control plane message to a control plane process on the particular service gateway node,
• whereby data plane traffic and control plane traffic from the same subscriber are directed to one or more related gateway nodes of the cluster of service gateway nodes.

An apparatus for distributing traffic from an end node in a packet switched network to a cluster of service gateway nodes that host subscriber-aware application servers, comprising:

• a first network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating therewith a first data packet;
• a different second network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating therewith a second data packet;
• one or more processors;
• a computer-readable medium;
• and
• one or more sequences of instructions stored in the computer-readable medium, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
• receiving over the first interface a control plane message for supporting data plane traffic from a particular subscriber;
• determining a particular service gateway node among the cluster of service gateway nodes based on policy-based routing (PBR) for the data plane traffic from the particular subscriber;
• and
• sending over the second network interface a message based on the control plane message to a control plane process on the particular service gateway node,
• whereby data plane traffic and control plane traffic from the same subscriber are directed to one or more related gateway nodes of the cluster of service gateway nodes.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for distributing traffic from an end node in a packet switched network to a cluster of service gateway nodes that host subscriber-aware application servers, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• receiving a control plane message for supporting data plane traffic from a particular subscriber;
• determining a particular service gateway node among the cluster of service gateway nodes based on policy-based routing (PBR) for the data plane traffic from the particular subscriber;
• and
• sending a message based on the control plane message to a control plane process on the particular service gateway node,
• whereby data plane traffic and control plane traffic from the same subscriber are directed to one or more related gateway nodes of the cluster of service gateway nodes.