Network appliance for balancing load and platform services

A system for balancing loads in a network, the system comprising:

• a first network appliance having:
• at least one first platform service stored in memory,
• a service monitor stored in memory and executable to:
• monitor a working status of the at least one first platform service when executed from memory, the service monitor using interprocess communications, the working status indicating that the at least platform service is starting,
• place the at least one first platform service in hold mode based on the working status indicating that the at least one platform service is starting, and
• remove the at least one first platform service from hold mode when a predetermined number of successful replies are received from the at least one first platform service in response to a plurality of requests;
• and
• a first load balancer stored in memory and executable to suspend communications to the at least one first platform service while the at least one first platform service is in hold mode and to resume communications when the at least one first platform service is no longer in hold mode, the working status indicating that the at least one first platform service is starting;
• and
• a second network appliance having:
• at least one second platform service stored in memory, and
• a second load balancer stored in memory and executable to perform load balancing on communications received by the second network appliance, wherein the first network appliance is configured to receive all client communications to the network unless the first load balancer fails, and the second network appliance is configured to receive all client communications to the network if the first load balancer fails.

A method of processing client communications to a network comprising:

• receiving a first client communication at a first network appliance hosting at least one first platform service;
• monitor a working status of the at least one first platform service when executed from memory, the monitoring using interprocess communications, the working status indicating that the at least one first platform service is starting;
• placing the at least one platform service in hold mode based on the working status indicating that the at least one platform service is starting;
• removing the at least one platform service from hold mode when a predetermined number of successful replies are received from the at least one platform service in response to a plurality of requests;
• employing a load balancer hosted by the first network appliance to suspend communication to the at least one first platform service hosted by the first network appliance while the at least one first platform service is in hold mode and to resume communications when the at least one first platform service is no longer in hold mode;
• receiving a second client communication at the first network appliance;
• and
• employing the load balancer to direct the second client communication to a second platform service hosted by a second network appliance based on at least the working status indicating that the at least one first platform service is starting and a working status of the second platform service.