JP2008129981A - Connection destination determiniation server and load distribution method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress inter-server communication traffic volume for cooperating servers to which load is distributed and to correspond even to an increase in accommodation users without performing a system change in performing load-distribution of a large scale user to a plurality of servers. <P>SOLUTION: In a presence system which enables real time information exchange between clients by distributing an accessing client 11a and accommodating it in a plurality of accommodation servers 12A and 12B, an accommodation server that accommodates the most other clients registered in a member list 14 of the client 11a accessing to receive service provision is retrieved from an accommodation table 13, and the retrieved accommodation server is indicated to the client 11a as a connection destination server. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection destination determination server and a load distribution method for determining a server to be connected when a client accessing via a network receives service provision.

  In recent years, various types of one-to-many real-time communication (not limited to real-time communication in a narrow sense in which transmission / reception of requested data within a certain period of time is guaranteed but also in a broad sense) can be performed between a large number of clients. Service is provided. For example, in the messenger service, message documents and presence information can be exchanged in real time between a plurality of users who have logged into the messenger server. In addition, in the case of a multipoint remote conference system, audio / video data is exchanged in real time between clients logged in to the conference server, and various file information for presentation can be shared.

By the way, when accommodating a large-scale user in a system that enables one-to-many real-time communication, it is conceivable to distribute the load of an increasing number of transactions to a plurality of servers. As a mechanism of load distribution, a method of fixedly assigning a user name and an accommodation server on a one-to-one basis, a method of allocating an accommodation server so that the distance on the network from the user's IP address or domain name is the shortest (for example, Patent Documents) 1).
JP 2003-296208 A

  However, since the conventional load distribution method could not flexibly determine the connection destination according to the user's state, a large number of server-to-server communications (transactions) occur in order to link the load-distributed servers. There's a problem.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, interactive text document exchange (chat) within a group including a client a connected to a connection destination server A and clients b and c connected to other connection destination servers B If there is a change in the status of the client a (for example, change of presence / absence information), the client b and c are immediately notified to other connection destination servers B that do not have the information. Will do. The server-to-server communication (transaction) is expected to increase as the number of accommodated users increases. Such an increase in inter-server communication (transaction) is not a fundamental solution just by determining the connection destination server so that the distance on the network is the shortest as in Patent Document 1.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a system that distributes a load on a large-scale user to a plurality of servers, the amount of communication between servers for coordinating between the load-distributed servers is suppressed. An object of the present invention is to provide a connection destination determination server and a load distribution method.

  The connection destination determination server of the present invention is a service providing system for providing an information exchange service between clients by distributing and accommodating a large number of clients in a plurality of servers, and for the clients accessing via the network, the server A connection destination server is determined so as to suppress the amount of communication between them, and the connection destination server is instructed to the accessing client.

  By configuring in this way, the connection destination server is determined so that the communication amount between the servers is suppressed, so that clients with high communication frequency such as clients in the same group are distributed and accommodated in different accommodation servers. Decreases, and server-to-server communication (transactions) is suppressed.

  Further, in the connection destination determination server, when another client configuring the same group as the one client is registered in the member list of the one client and determines the connection destination server of the one client, It is characterized in that an accommodation server that accommodates most other clients registered in the member list of one client is determined as a connection destination server.

  By configuring in this way, since the accommodating server that accommodates the most other clients registered in the member list of the accessing client is determined as the connection destination server, clients in the same group with high communication frequency It comes to be accommodated in the same accommodation server, and the amount of communication between servers can be suppressed.

  Further, in the connection destination determination server, when another client configuring the same group as the one client is registered in the member list of the one client and determines the connection destination server of the one client, It is characterized in that an accommodation server of a client having the highest communication frequency among other clients registered in a member list of one client is determined as a connection destination server.

  By configuring in this way, the server that has the highest communication frequency among the other clients registered in the member list of one client is determined as the connection destination server. It will be accommodated in the same accommodation server, and generation | occurrence | production of the communication between servers can be suppressed.

  Further, in the connection destination determination server, when another client configuring the same group as the one client is registered in the member list of the one client and determines the connection destination server of the one client, It is characterized in that the server that accommodates the client that communicated last among other clients registered in the member list of one client is determined as the connection destination server.

  With this configuration, it is highly possible to communicate with the last communicating client when re-login by determining the server that accommodates the last communicating client as the connection destination server. Can be expected to do.

  In the connection destination determination server, the present invention also provides a member list in which other clients that are created in units of clients and form the same group as one client are registered, and an accommodation table in which an accommodation server of a logged-in client is registered. And a connection destination server is determined using the member list and the accommodation table.

  With this configuration, since the connection destination server is determined using the member list and the accommodation table, the accommodation server of each client can be acquired with reference to the accommodation table, and the accommodation server information of each client is used. Thus, it is possible to determine the connection destination server so that communication between servers is suppressed.

  In the connection destination determination server according to the present invention, the client member list is evaluated at the time of client login and / or logout so that the communication volume between the servers is suppressed. The client accommodation server is rearranged.

  With this configuration, the relocation is performed by evaluating the member list at the time of login and / or logout, so that it is possible to prevent the accommodation from being fixed to a server with a small number of communication partners.

  Further, the present invention provides a service providing system for providing an information exchange service between clients by distributing and accommodating a large number of clients in a plurality of servers, and for clients accessing via a network to receive service provision, The load distribution method is characterized in that a connection destination server is determined so that a communication amount between the servers is suppressed.

  According to the present invention, when a large-scale user is load-distributed to a plurality of servers, the amount of server-to-server communication for linking the load-distributed servers can be suppressed, and the system is changed to increase the number of accommodated users Can respond without any problems.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment in which a connection destination determination server 10 of the present invention is applied to a presence system. In the presence system shown in the figure, the connection destination determination server 10, the clients 11a to 11h, and the accommodation servers 12A and 12B are connected to each other via a network such as the Internet or a LAN.

  Each of the clients 11a to 11h is a user side information communication terminal configured by a computer having a network communication function. Programs necessary for receiving the service provision are installed in the clients 11a to 11h. In the presence system of the present embodiment, the presence information of each user is collected from the logged-in clients 11a to 11h to the accommodation server, and the presence information of other users is distributed to the clients 11a to 11h in real time. Configured to be displayed.

  The plurality of accommodation servers 12A and 12B constitute a load distribution server for load distribution. In FIG. 1, two accommodation servers 12A and 12B are shown for convenience of explanation, but this presence system is constructed by a large number of accommodation servers according to the number of users accommodated. The accommodation servers 12A and 12B collect and manage presence information from the clients 11b and 11f and the like logged in to the presence system, and notify the other members (clients) of the presence information that has changed. When a member whose presence information has changed is accommodated in another server, the presence information is transmitted to the client of the other accommodation server via inter-server communication.

  Presence information is information that generally indicates the state in which a person or an object changes, and represents, for example, “present / away”, “operation / stop”, “on the phone”, “during a meeting”, etc. Points to information. By combining the messenger server described above and the presence system of the present embodiment, it is possible to display the presence information of other members registered in the member list of the client who has logged into the messenger system.

  The connection destination determination server 10 determines an accommodation server as a connection destination of a client who has logged in to receive service provision. In the present embodiment, communication of presence information is executed in the same accommodation server, and a connection destination server to be a connection destination accommodation server is determined so that inter-server communication does not occur as much as possible. The connection destination determination server 10 is based on a database 15 in which an accommodation table 13 in which client names are associated with accommodation servers, and a member list 14 in which other participating members are listed for each group in which the client participates are registered. Acquire information necessary for determining the connection destination.

  In the accommodation table 13, not only a client currently logged in and connected to a specific accommodation server, but also an unlogged client can be registered and an accommodation server can be determined and registered. For example, if clients registered in the same member list are connected to the same accommodation server, presence information communication is executed in the same accommodation server, so the member list is registered before login. The client may be registered in advance in the accommodation table 13. Or, even if a group is not formed, if you log in, clients that are expected to exchange information with a high communication frequency will be accommodated in advance so that they will be accommodated in the same accommodation server when logging in. It is desirable to register in 13.

  The member list 14 can be sequentially created on the accommodation servers 12A and 12B in response to a request from the client. The newly created member list can be sent from the accommodation servers 12A and 12B via the connection destination determination server 10 or the accommodation servers 12A, 12B. 12B is directly registered in the database 15. The addition / deletion of the client registered in the member list 14 is also sequentially executed in the same manner as described above according to a request from the client. One user (client) may be registered in the plurality of member lists 14.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the clients 11b to 11d, 11f, and 11g are registered in the accommodation table 13 of the database 15, and the clients 11b to 11d are accommodated in the accommodation server 12A, and the clients 11f, 11g. Is stored in another storage server 12B. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, it is assumed that the clients 11b to 11d accommodated in one accommodation server 12A are registered in the member list 14 of the client 11a to log in from now on. Alternatively, the login request is received by the connection destination determination server 10, and the login is performed to the accommodation server.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the connection destination server determination at the time of client login in the connection destination determination server 10. When the client 11a logs in to the presence system and receives service provision, the client 11a issues a login request to the connection destination determination server 10 via the network. It should be noted that the partner to whom the client logs in and the timing are not limited to this, and may be when connecting to the accommodation server designated by the connection destination determination server 10. In this case, it is not a login request but a simple access request to the connection destination determination server 10.

  When receiving the login request from the client 11a (step S1), the connection destination determination server 10 determines whether the member list 14 of the client 11a exists in the database 15 (step S2). If the client 11a belongs to some group that receives the presence information service, the member list 14 of the client 11a may be registered. In this example, the member list 14 of the client 11a is registered as shown in FIG.

  The connection destination determination server 10 determines whether or not all the clients 11b to 11d registered in the member list 14 shown in FIG. 2B are accommodated in the same accommodation server (step S3). The accommodation server in which each of the member clients 11b to 11d is accommodated is specified from the accommodation table 13. In this example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the clients 11b to 11d are accommodated in the same accommodation server 12A. Therefore, the same accommodation server 12A as the clients 11b to 11d, which are other members, is determined as the connection destination server (step S9).

  In addition, there may be a plurality of accommodating servers in which the clients 11b to 11d registered in the member list 14 are accommodated. In this case, the server that accommodates the largest number of clients registered in the member list 14 is determined as the connection destination server (step S4). Note that the determination in step S4 may be performed without the determination in step S3, but if the number of clients in the accommodation table 13 increases, the processing time may become longer.

  In this way, presence information is exchanged between the client 11a and the clients 11b to 11d by determining the same accommodation server 12A as that of the clients 11b to 11d registered in the member list 14 of the client 11a as the connection destination server. Even if it becomes communication closed by the accommodation server 12A, communication with the other accommodation server 12B is unnecessary.

  Also, by setting the accommodating server that accommodates the largest number of clients among the clients registered in the member list 14 as the connection destination server, the number of accommodating servers can be reduced and distributed to a large number of accommodating servers. Compared with the case where it is accommodated, the effect which suppresses the communication amount between servers is anticipated.

  When the connection destination server is determined as described above, the connection destination determination server 10 next provides information (IP address or URL) for accessing the connection destination server (12A) to the client 11a that is the login request source. Transmit (step S5). At this time, the connection destination determination server 10 may determine not only one connection destination server but also the next candidate and instruct the client 11a.

  The client 11a is instructed from the connection destination determination server 10 to access information (such as an IP address or URL) of the accommodation server 12A to be connected. After the access server 12A instructed by the connection destination determination server 10 accesses and logs in using the access information, a participation request is made. If the service is not stopped at the accommodation server 12A, the connection is successful and the presence service can be received. If the first accommodating server 12A cannot be connected due to an overload condition or system shutdown, the next candidate accommodating server is accessed. The client 11 a that has successfully connected to the accommodation server 12 </ b> A or 12 </ b> B and has logged in notifies the connection destination determination server 10 of the accommodation server. If it is already registered in the storage table 13 and stored in the same storage server, the registered content is not changed.

  The connection destination determination server 10 performs error processing when a notification indicating that connection to any of the accommodation servers has not been sent from the client 11a (step S6). If a notification that the connection is successful is sent to the instructed connection destination server, the client 11a and its connection destination server (accommodation server) are registered in the accommodation table 13 (step S7).

  In the above description, in step S4 in FIG. 3, the accommodation server that accommodates the largest number of members at the time of login is determined as the connection destination server. However, the present invention is not limited to this condition. For example, the client having the highest communication frequency among other clients registered in the member list 14 of the client, or the client having the highest communication frequency with the client among other clients registered in the member list 14. The accommodating server is determined as the connection destination server. By registering the communication frequency of each client in association with each client registered in the member list 14, it is possible to determine to which client each client has a high communication frequency. Alternatively, the client having the highest communication frequency in the group may be identified and the information may be managed by the database 15.

  Therefore, by operating the connection destination server of each client included in the predetermined group (member) to be the accommodating server of the client with the highest communication frequency, the connection destination server of each client on the member list has the highest communication frequency. It is converged to the accommodating server of many clients, and the amount of communication between servers can be suppressed.

  Alternatively, the accommodation server 13 may be searched and the accommodation server of the client that hits first may be determined as the connection destination server. Alternatively, the server that accommodates the client that communicated last with the client may be determined as the connection destination server. For this purpose, information of other clients that communicated last is managed for each client.

  Alternatively, the connection destination server may be determined and registered at the time of logout, and connected to the connection destination server registered at the previous logout at the next login.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for determining and registering (including updating) a connection destination server when a client logs out.

  When the client 11a or the like logs out from the presence system, the logout is notified from the client accommodation server or the client to the connection destination determination server 10 (step S20).

  The connection destination determination server 10 refers to the member list 14 and the accommodation table 13 of the client to be logged out, and detects the accommodation server in which the most members are accommodated at the time of logout (step S21). If the detected accommodation server is determined as the connection destination server at the next connection (step S22) and is different from the accommodation server of the client currently registered in the accommodation table 13 (step S23), this time The determined connection destination server is rewritten (step S24).

  As described above, when determining the connection destination server at the time of logout, the client who has requested login at the time of login is searched from the storage table 13 and the storage server registered in the storage table 13 at the previous logout is determined as the connection destination server. . It should be noted that a client login request not registered in the accommodation table 13 can be determined as a connection destination server in the same manner as steps S2 to S4, S8, and S9 in FIG.

  Further, even when the connection destination server is determined at the time of logout, the connection destination server may be determined so as to suppress the traffic between servers according to an algorithm other than step S21 in FIG. For example, at the time of logout of a client that has received service provision, a client having the highest communication frequency with the client is searched, and the same accommodation server as the searched client with the highest communication frequency may be the connection destination server. good. Alternatively, the storage server of the client that has most recently communicated with the client may be searched from the storage table 13 and determined as the connection destination server.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a detailed system configuration of the presence system constructed by the connection destination determination server and a plurality of accommodating servers shown in FIG. The subscriber management server CS manages subscriber user data and functions as an interface with other application systems (for example, messenger systems). Further, the subscriber management server CS functions as the connection destination determination server 10. The accommodation table 13 and the member list 14 are registered in the database DB. The login management servers UIS1 and UIS2 temporarily hold information on clients under login. Presence information management servers PIS1 and PIS2 hold master information of presence information of subordinate clients, and exchange presence information between PIS1 and PIS2 as necessary. The call connection servers CCS1 and CCS2 temporarily hold the IP addresses of subordinate clients and perform call connection. The client IP addresses are exchanged between the call connection servers CCS1 and CCS2 as necessary. The presence servers PS1 to PS6 hold the presence information of the subordinate clients and distribute the presence information of the clients not subordinate to the subordinate clients.

  The presence information management server PIS1 manages client presence information accommodated in subordinate presence servers PS1 to PS3, and the other presence information management server PIS2 is accommodated in subordinate presence servers PS4 to PS6. Manages client presence information.

  The call connection server CCS1 holds the IP addresses of the clients accommodated in the presence servers PS1 to PS3 under the presence information management server PIS1, and the other call connection server CCS2 is the presence server PS4 under the presence information management server PIS2. ~ Holds the IP address of the client accommodated in PS6.

  In the presence system configured as described above, it is assumed that the client Z makes a login request to the subscriber management server CS. Assume that the accommodation table 13 and member list 14 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B are registered in the database DB 15. In this case, the clients A, B, and C are registered in the member list 14 of the client Z, and all of the clients A, B, and C are accommodated in the same call connection server CCS1 and presence server PS1 in the accommodation table 13. Yes. In such a case, if the call connection server CCS1 and the presence server PS1 are determined as connection destination servers, communication with the other presence servers PS2 etc. is possible even if the presence information of the clients A, B, and C changes. Does not occur.

  Further, it is assumed that the accommodation table 13 and the member list 14 shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D are registered in the database DB15. In this case, the accommodation servers of the clients D and E registered in the member list 14 of the client Z are different from the accommodation servers of the other clients A, B, and C. Since the accommodating servers (CCS1, PS1) of the clients A, B, C accommodate the largest number of clients in the member list 14, it is desirable to determine the call connection server CCS1 and the presence server PS1 as connection destination servers. Even if there is a change in presence information among the clients A, B, C, and Z accommodated in the same accommodation server (CCS1, PS1), communication between servers does not occur.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, if none of the clients A, B, and C registered in the member list 14 of the client Z are registered in the accommodation table 13, they are accommodated at that time. Call connection server CCS and presence server PS with a small number of clients are determined as connection destination servers.

  It is also possible to construct a system that spans a plurality of providers by linking presence systems operated by different service providing providers. In this case, each provider management server CS, presence information management server PIS, and call connection server CCS are connected via different networks between different providers to exchange information.

  The present invention can be applied to a service providing system including a plurality of load distribution servers to accommodate a large number of clients.

Schematic configuration diagram of a presence system according to an embodiment of the present invention The figure which shows the accommodation table and member list which were registered into the database of the presence system shown in FIG. Flow chart for determining a connection destination server in the above embodiment Flow chart for determining a connection destination server at the time of logout in the above embodiment The figure which shows the detailed system configuration | structure of the presence system which concerns on the said one embodiment. The figure which shows the example of a setting of the accommodation table and member list in the system configuration | structure shown in FIG. The figure which shows the other example of a setting of the accommodation table and member list in the system configuration | structure shown in FIG. Schematic configuration diagram of a conventional presence system

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Connection destination determination server 11a-11h ... Client 12A, 12B ... Accommodating server 13 ... Accommodating table 14 ... Member list 15 ... Database CS ... Subscriber management server UIS ... Login management server PIS ... Presence information management server CCS ... Call connection server PS ... Presence server

Claims (7)

  In a service providing system that distributes and accommodates a large number of clients in a plurality of servers and provides an information exchange service between the clients, the amount of communication between the servers is suppressed for the clients that have accessed through the network. A connection destination determination server, wherein the connection destination server is determined and the connection destination server is instructed to the accessing client. Other clients that make up the same group as one client are registered in the member list of that one client,
When determining the connection destination server of the one client, an accommodation server that accommodates the largest number of other clients registered in the member list of the one client is determined as the connection destination server. 1. A connection destination determination server according to 1. Other clients that make up the same group as one client are registered in the member list of that one client,
When determining the connection destination server of the one client, the server that accommodates the client having the highest communication frequency among the other clients registered in the member list of the one client is determined as the connection destination server. The connection destination determination server according to claim 1. Other clients that make up the same group as one client are registered in the member list of that one client,
When the connection destination server of the one client is determined, an accommodation server of the client that communicated last among other clients registered in the member list of the one client is determined as the connection destination server. The connection destination determination server according to claim 1.   A member list created for each client and registered with other clients that constitute the same group as the one client; and a containment table with the accommodation server of the logged-in client registered, the member list and the containment table being The connection destination determination server according to claim 1, wherein the connection destination server is determined using the connection destination server.   When a client logs in and / or logs out, the client member list is evaluated, and the accommodation server of the client is rearranged on the accommodation table so that the communication amount between the servers is suppressed. The connection destination determination server according to claim 5.   In a service providing system that distributes and accommodates a large number of clients in a plurality of servers and provides an information exchange service between the clients, communication between the servers is performed for a client that has accessed via the network to receive the service provision. A load balancing method, wherein a connection destination server is determined so that the amount is suppressed.

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