Patent application EP17208805A (EP), filed 2017-12-20
Publication number: EP3343879A1
Title: A SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MANAGING FLOW STATE IN STATEFUL APPLICATIONS
Abstract: Disclosed is a method for managing flow tables at a switch in a network. The method includes establishing a static rule to distribute a first flow to a first server and a second flow to a second server and monitoring a first load on the first server and a second load on a second server. When, based on the monitoring, the first server is running at capacity and the third flow is to be distributed to the first server according to the static rule, the method includes establishing an exception to the static rule to yield an exception rule, distributing the third flow to a third server with capacity according to the exception rule and storing a flow table for the third flow at a switch, wherein the switch does not store a static rule flow table for the static rule.
IPC codes: H04L  12/   803            A I
H04L  29/    08            A I
H04L  47/   125            A I
H04L  67/  1001            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: A method comprising:
number: 2
text: The method of claim 1, further comprising:
number: 3
text: The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:
number: 4
text: The method of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein distribution of flows follows the exception rule before the static rule.
number: 5
text: The method of any preceding claim, wherein the third server is determined to have sufficient capacity to receive and process the third flow.
number: 6
text: The method of any preceding claim, wherein a selection of the third server from a plurality of servers is based at least in part on an analysis of one or more of the exception rule, the static rule, the first flow, the second flow, the third flow, the first server, the second server and the third server.
number: 7
text: The method of any preceding claim, wherein a selection of the third server from a plurality of servers is made based at least in part on how much data is required to be stored in the flow table for the third flow for the third flow being distributed to the third server relative to other servers of the plurality of servers having capacity for distribution.
number: 8
text: A system comprising:
number: 9
text: The system of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable storage device stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising further comprising:
number: 10
text: The system of claim 8 or 9, wherein the computer-readable storage device stores further instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising further comprising:
number: 11
text: The system of any of claims 8 to 10, wherein distribution of flows follows the exception rule before the static rule.
number: 12
text: The system of any of claims 8 to 11, wherein the third server is determined to have sufficient capacity to receive and process the third flow.
number: 13
text: The system of any of claims 8 to 12, wherein a selection of the third server from a plurality of servers is based at least in part on an analysis of one or more of the exception rule, the static rule, the first flow, the second flow, the third flow, the first server, the second server and the third server.
number: 14
text: The system of any of claims 8 to 12, wherein a selection of the third server from a plurality of servers is made based at least in part on how much data is required to be stored in the flow table for the third flow for the third flow being distributed to the third server relative to other servers of the plurality of servers having capacity for distribution.
number: 15
text: A non-transitory computer-readable storage device storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 7.
Office action: search_report, dated 2018-07-04
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: US2011261811A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2011261811
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
Final disposition: pending (2018-07-04)