Load balancing for network server

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to the field of network servers and more specifically to load balancing for network servers with multiple blades.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a blade server for performing load balancing at the blade level, according to one embodiment of the present invention; and,

#FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a process for supporting load balancing at the blade level, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

#Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for load balancing at the blade level for servers with multiple blades. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a blade server for performing load balancing, such as the IBM BladeCenter available from International Business Machines of Armonk, N.Y., may comprise a plurality of blades, each blade coupled with a plurality of outgoing ports via a network interface adapter, for example. The blade server may further include a blade management module configured for monitoring throughput performance of the server and the plurality of blades. The management module may be coupled with each of the plurality of blades via an inter-integrated circuit communication bus. The management module may instruct a blade to switch from a first outgoing port to a second outgoing port, when throughput performance decreases due to, for example, a DoS attack. The management module may further instruct the blade to switch from the second outgoing port back to the first outgoing port, when throughput performance increases.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a blade server 100 for performing load balancing at the blade level, according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a blade server 100 including three separate blades 119, 129 and 139. The blade server 100 comprises a server architecture that can house multiple server modules or blades 119, 129 and 139 in a single chassis. Each blade functions semi-independently and has its own CPU, memory and hard disk (not shown).

#Blade 119 comprises a service processor 118, such as a silicon chip, that controls the logic and substantially performs the necessary functions of the blade 119. The service processor 118 is controlled by the service processor device driver 116, which contains a program for managing the service processor 118. The device driver 116 acts like a translator between the service processor 118 and programs or hardware components that use the service processor 118. The device driver 116 accepts generic commands from a program or hardware component and then translates them into specialized commands for the service processor 118. Blade 119 further comprises outgoing ports 110 and 112. In one embodiment of the present invention, outgoing ports 110 and 112 are outgoing ports to a network such as an Ethernet network interface adapter. Outgoing ports 110 and 112 are controlled by the device driver 114, which contains a program for managing the outgoing ports 110 and 112.