Method and apparatus for managing connections based on a client IP address

A method of assigning an incoming connection to a server comprising:

• providing a client specific virtual machine object instance that is associated with a designated client IP address;
• receiving an incoming packet associated with a new connection, the incoming packet having a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number;
• verifying that the incoming packet does not match an existing connection object;
• selecting the client specific virtual machine object instance that is associated with the designated client IP address when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address;
• and
• translating the packet destination IP address to a physical machine IP address that is designated by the client specific virtual machine instance when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address;
• whereby the client specific virtual machine instance is selected when the designated client IP address matches the packet source IP address and the packet is routed to the physical machine that is designated by the client specific virtual machine instance.

A method of assigning an incoming connection to a server comprising:

• associating a virtual machine with a designated client IP address;
• receiving an incoming packet associated with a new connection, the incoming packet having a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number;
• selecting the virtual machine that is associated with the designated client IP address when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address;
• and
• translating the packet destination IP address to a physical machine IP address that is associated with a physical machine that is associated with the virtual machine;
• whereby the client specific virtual machine is selected when the designated client IP address matches the packet source IP address and the packet is routed to the physical machine that is associated with the virtual machine.

A system of assigning an incoming connection to a server comprising:

• means for providing a client specific virtual machine object instance that is associated with a designated client IP address;
• means for receiving an incoming packet associated with a new connection, the incoming packet having a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number;
• means for verifying that the incoming packet does not match an existing connection object;
• means for selecting the client specific virtual machine object instance that is associated with the designated client IP address when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address;
• and
• means for translating the packet destination IP address to a physical machine IP address that is designated by the client specific virtual machine instance when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address;
• whereby the client specific virtual machine instance is selected when the designated client IP address matches the packet source IP address and the packet is routed to the physical machine that is designated by the client specific virtual machine instance.

A computer program product for assigning an incoming connection to a server, comprising:

• computer code providing a client specific virtual machine object instance that is associated with a designated client IP address;
• computer code receiving an incoming packet associated with a new connection, the incoming packet having a packet source IP address, a packet source port number, a packet destination IP address, and a packet destination port number;
• computer code verifying that the incoming packet does not match an existing connection object;
• computer code selecting the client specific virtual machine object instance that is associated with the designated client IP address when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address;
• computer code translating the packet destination IP address to a physical machine IP address that is designated by the client specific virtual machine instance when the packet source IP address matches the designated client IP address;
• whereby the client specific virtual machine instance is selected when the designated client IP address matches the packet source IP address and the packet is routed to the physical machine that is designated by the client specific virtual machine instance;
• and
• a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.