Automated router load balancing
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorMichael T. Roeder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment disclosed relates to a method of load balancing between a plurality of routers. A packet is received at a router from a source host to be forward to a destination host. An algorithm is applied at the router to select a gateway for the source host for packets destined to the destination host. An ICMP redirect message is then sent from the router to the source host to reset the gateway of the source host for packets destined to the destination host. An ARP request is received at the plurality of routers from a requesting host from a source IP address in relation to a destination IP address. An algorithm is applied at each router to determine which single router is to respond to the request. The responding router sends an ARP reply to the requesting host.
Claims16
A method of load balancing between a plurality of routers by automated resetting of gateways, the method comprising:
- receiving a packet at a first router from a source host to be forwarded to a destination host;
- identifying a current load on the first router;
- determining whether the packet is to be routed by another one of the plurality of routers based upon the identified current load of the first router;
- applying an algorithm at the first router to select a second router from the plurality of routers to be a next gateway for the source host for packets destined to the destination host in response to a determination that the packet is to be routed by another one of the plurality of routers;
- and
- sending an ICMP redirect message from the first router to the source host to reset a default gateway of the source host to be the second router for packets destined to the destination host.
An apparatus for routing packets with a load balancing capability involving automated resetting of gateways, the apparatus comprising:
- a first router configured to receive a packet from a source host to be routed to a destination host;
- a selection module configured to identify a current load on the first router, determine whether the packet is to be routed by another one of the plurality of routers based upon the identified current load of the first router, apply an algorithm to select a second router from the plurality of routers to be a next gateway of the source host for packets destined to the destination host;
- and
- a transmission module configured to send an ICMP redirect message to the source host to reset a current gateway of the source host to be said second router for packets destined to the destination host.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.