Wide area load balancing of web traffic

A computer system operable to facilitate redirection of traffic between a server and a client to between the client and a nearest replica selected from a plurality of replicas, the computer system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory,
• wherein at least one of the memory and the processor are adapted to provide:
• receiving a packet that is traveling between a client and a server or between the client and a replica;
• when the received packet is a start packet that is traveling from the client to the server, altering the start packet to indicate that the start packet should be forwarded to any replica that duplicates the data content of the server and forwarding the altered acknowledgement to the client;
• and
• when the received packet is an acknowledgement packet that is received first in response to the forwarded start packet, altering the acknowledgement so that it spoofs the server when the acknowledgement originates from the replica;
• when the received packet is an acknowledgement that is not received first in response to the forwarded start packet, inhibiting sending of the acknowledgement to the client.

A computer program product for facilitating redirection of traffic between a server and a client to between the client and a selected one from a plurality of replicas, the computer program product comprising:

• at least one computer readable medium;
• computer program instructions stored within the at least one computer readable product configured to cause a processing device to:
• receive a packet that is traveling between a client and a server or between the client and a replica;
• when the received packet is a start packet that is traveling from the client to the server, alter the start packet to indicate that the start packet should be forwarded to any replica that duplicates the data content of the server;
• when the received packet is an acknowledgement packet that is received first in response to the forwarded start packet, alter the acknowledgement so that it spoofs the server when the acknowledgement originates from the replica and forward the altered acknowledgement to the client;
• and
• when the received packet is an acknowledgement that is not received first in response to the forwarded start packet, inhibit sending of the acknowledgement client.

An apparatus for facilitating redirection of traffic between a server and a client to between the client and a nearest replica selected from a plurality of replicas, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a packet that is traveling between a client and a server or between the client and a replica;
• means for altering the start packet to indicate that the start packet should be forwarded to any replica that duplicates the data content of the server when the received packet is a start packet that is traveling from the client to the server;
• means for altering the acknowledgement so that it spoofs the server when the acknowledgement originates from the replica and forwarding the altered acknowledgement to the client when the received packet is an acknowledgement packet that is received first in response to the forwarded start packet;
• and
• means for inhibiting sending of the acknowledgement to the client when the received packet is an acknowledgement that is not received first in response to the forwarded start packet.