Sticky routing

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of method of sticky routing of user connections to a distributed service comprising multiple data centers, the method comprising:

• for each of the multiple data centers, establishing multiple associated user buckets, wherein all service requests from all users in a given bucket are routed to the associated data center, and wherein each user bucket has only one of three states:
• online, wherein an online bucket is available to receive new users;
• offline, wherein users assigned to an offline bucket are expelled from the bucket;
• and
• closed, wherein a closed bucket is not available to receive new users and users assigned to a closed bucket are not expelled from the bucket;
• receiving a first service request from a first device operated by a first user;
• assigning the first user to a first user bucket that is online, wherein the first user bucket is associated with a first data center;
• storing first sticky routing data for the first user, wherein the first sticky routing data comprises:
• a member ID;
• an identifier of the first user bucket;
• and
• a generation of the first user bucket;
• and
• routing the first service request to the first data center.

An apparatus for sticky routing of requests to a distributed service comprising multiple data centers, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• sticky routing data for each of multiple users of the distributed service, wherein first sticky routing data of a first user comprises:
• a member ID of the first user;
• an identifier of a first bucket the first user is assigned to, wherein the first bucket is one of one or more buckets associated with a first data center and has only one of three states:
• online, wherein an online bucket is available to receive new users:
• offline, wherein users assigned to an offline bucket are expelled from the bucket;
• and
• closed, wherein a closed bucket is not available to receive new users and users assigned to a closed bucket are not expelled from the bucket;
• a generation of the bucket;
• and
• a generation of the first sticky routing data;
• and
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
• in response to a first service request from a first device of the first user, generate the first sticky routing data for the first user;
• store the first sticky routing data;
• and
• cause service requests from a plurality of devices operated by the first user to be routed to the first data center and not any other data center of the multiple data centers.

A system, comprising:

• multiple data centers, each data center including multiple computers, each computer comprising a processor and memory and hosting a common application;
• multiple points of presence for routing application requests to the multiple data centers;
• and
• for each data center, one or more associated logical buckets, wherein each user of the application is assigned to one bucket, and all application requests received from devices operated by one user are routed to the data center associated with the one user's assigned bucket, and wherein each bucket has only one of three states:
• online, wherein an online bucket is available to receive new users;
• offline, wherein users assigned to an offline bucket are expelled from the bucket;
• and
• closed, wherein a closed bucket is not available to receive new users and users assigned to a closed bucket are not expelled from the bucket.