Computer system, computer, and load balancing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9736235-B2
Application number	US-201514739551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

It is provided a computer system, comprising a plurality of computers configured to execute processing in response to requests received from a plurality of external systems. The plurality of computers each share an acceptance weight statistic value calculated by each of the plurality of computers with another computer within the same network segment. The processor of each of the plurality of computers is configured to: receive a broadcast transmitted from one of the plurality of external systems to the same network segment; determine whether to respond to the received broadcast by referring to the shared acceptance weight statistic value; and send a response to the one of the plurality of external systems that has transmitted the broadcast in order to allow the one of the plurality of external systems to transmit a processing request in a case where it is determined to respond to the received broadcast.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer system, comprising:
a plurality of computers, wherein each of the plurality of computers includes:
a memory,
a network interface communicatively coupled to the plurality of computers via a network, and
a processor communicatively coupled to the network interface and the memory; and

a plurality of external systems that are communicatively coupled to the plurality of computers via the network;
wherein the processor of each of the plurality of computers:
calculates an acceptance weight statistic value based on either:
i) load information calculated for each of the plurality of external systems based on a type and a frequency of processing requested by each of the plurality of external systems and a weighting factor defined to correspond to each type of processing, or
ii) load information calculated for each type of the processing based on a type and a frequency of processing requested by each of the plurality of external systems and a weighting factor defined to correspond to each type of processing;

shares, using the network interface, the acceptance weight statistic value with one or more computers in a same network segment of the network;
receives a broadcast transmitted from one of the plurality of external systems to the same network segment;
determines whether to respond to the broadcast received by referring to the acceptance weight statistic value shared; and
sends a response to the one of the plurality of external systems that has transmitted the broadcast in order to allow the one of the plurality of external systems to transmit a processing request in a case where it is determined to respond to the broadcast received.

2. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor of each of the plurality of computers further:
receives the processing request from one of the plurality of external systems;
determines whether to execute processing requested by the processing request;
selects an alternate computer from the plurality of computers by referring to the acceptance weight statistic value shared in a case where it is determined not to execute the requested processing;
notifies the one of the plurality of external systems that has transmitted the processing request of information on the alternate computer selected; and
notifies the alternate computer selected of information on the one of the plurality of external systems that has transmitted the processing request.

3. The computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor of each of the plurality of computers determines to respond to the broadcast in a case where the acceptance weight statistic value is smaller than that of the one or more computers in the same network segment of the network.

4. The computer system according to claim 3 , wherein:
the processor of each of the plurality of computers further:
shares, using the network interface, information on whether each of the plurality of computers is ready to accept the processing request, and
determines to respond to the broadcast in a case where the acceptance weight statistic value is smallest of computers that are ready to accept the processing request currently.

5. The computer system according to claim 3 , wherein:
the processor of each of the plurality of computers further:
shares, using the network interface, information on whether each of the plurality of computers is active, and
determines to respond to the broadcast in a case where the acceptance weight statistic value is smallest of currently active computers.

6. The computer system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor of each of the plurality of computers selects one of the plurality of computers having a smallest acceptance weight statistic value as the alternate computer.

7. A computer comprising:
a memory;
a network interface communicatively coupled to a plurality of computers and a plurality of external systems via a network; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the memory the network interface,
wherein the processor:
calculates an acceptance weight statistic value based on either:
i) load information calculated for each of the plurality of external systems based on a type and a frequency of processing requested by each of the plurality of external systems and a weighting factor defined to correspond to each type of processing, or
ii) load information calculated for each type of the processing based on a type and a frequency of processing requested by each of the plurality of external systems and a weighting factor defined to correspond to each type of processing;

shares, using the network interface, the acceptance weight statistic value with one or more computers in a same network segment of the network;
receives a broadcast transmitted from one of the plurality of external systems;
determines whether to respond to the broadcast received by referring to the acceptance weight statistic value shared; and
send a response to the one of the plurality of external systems that has transmitted the broadcast in order to allow the one of the plurality of external systems to transmit a processing request in a case where it is determined to respond to the broadcast received.

8. The computer according to claim 7 , wherein the processor further:
receives the processing request from one of the plurality of external systems;
determines whether to execute processing requested by the processing request;
selects an alternate computer by referring to the acceptance weight statistic value shared of each computer in a case where it is determined not to respond to the requested processing;
notifies the one of the plurality of external systems of information on the alternate computer selected; and
notify the alternate computer selected of information on the one of the plurality of external systems that has transmitted the processing request.

9. A load balancing method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of a computer, a broadcast transmitted from one of a plurality of external systems, wherein the computer includes a network interface that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of computers and a plurality of external devices via a network;
calculating, by the processor, an acceptance weight statistic value based on either:
i) load information calculated for each of the plurality of external systems based on a type and a frequency of processing requested by each of the plurality of external systems and a weighting factor defined to correspond to each type of processing, or
ii) load information calculated for each type of the processing based on a type and a frequency of processing requested by each of the plurality of external systems and a weighting factor defined to correspond to each type of processing;

sharing, using the network interface, the acceptance weight statistic value with one or more computers in a same network segment of the network;
determining, by the processor, whether to respond to the broadcast received by referring to the acceptance weight statistic value shared; and
sending, by the processor, a response to the one of the plurality of external systems that has transmitted the broadcast in order to allow the one of the plurality of external systems to transmit a processing request in a case where it is determined to respond to the broadcast received.

10. The load balancing method according to claim 9 , further comprising steps of:
receiving, by the processor, the processing request from one of the plurality of external systems;
determining, by the processor, whether to execute processing requested by the processing request;
selecting, by the processor, an alternate computer from the plurality of com

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Miyata Tatsuhiko
• Yoshihara Jun

Classifications

• H04L67/1008

  based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload (monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30) · CPC title

• H04L67/1023

  based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs · CPC title

• H04L67/1029 Primary

  using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer · CPC title