Scott P Tennican

US Patent:

7441045, Oct 21, 2008

Filed:

Feb 16, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/788281

Inventors:

Bryan D. Skene - Seattle WA, US
Scott P. Tennican - Seattle WA, US
Thomas E. Kee - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

F5 Networks, Inc. - Seattle WA

International Classification:

G06F 15/173
G06F 15/16

US Classification:

709241, 709223, 709201

Abstract:

A system and method for balancing the load on virtual servers managed by server array controllers at separate data centers that are geographically distributed on a wide area network such as the Internet is described. The virtual servers provide access to resources associated with a domain name request by a client program. When a Primary Domain Name System (DNS) determined the requested domain name is delegated to a EDNS, the EDNS employs metric information and statistics to resolve an IP address for a virtual server that is selected by the EDNS to optimally balance the load and provide access to resources associated with the domain name. The EDNS may load balance name servers. Additionally, the name server load balancing system may bridge disparate content delivery networks. Internet addresses are divided into geographical information that is used to delegate traffic. Also, metric information is collected and analyzed to help distribute the traffic.

US Patent:

7590625, Sep 15, 2009

Filed:

Sep 18, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/532876

Inventors:

Scott P. Tennican - Seattle WA, US
Bryan D. Skene - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

F5 Networks, Inc. - Seattle WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707 3

Abstract:

The invention provides for employing a complex data structure to optimize the retrieval of data over a network. The complex data structure includes two separate sub-data structures (Trie and List) that separately reference the same data objects in a data store. The Trie sub-data structure is used to fulfill a single data object request. The List sub-data structure is employed with function requests related to several data objects. Each data object is associated with a parent object that includes a list of every reference to the data object in both the Trie and List sub-data structures. A collector object is a type of data object that is associated with a member object and which includes a list of other related data/collector objects. When data associated with the collector object is requested, other data associated with the other data/collector objects on the member object list are automatically retrieved.

US Patent:

20010049741, Dec 6, 2001

Filed:

Dec 13, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/459815

Inventors:

BRYAN D. SKENE - SEATTLE WA, US
SCOTT P. TENNICAN - SEATTLE WA, US
THOMAS E. KEE - MUKILTEO WA, US

International Classification:

G06F015/16

US Classification:

709/232000

Abstract:

A system and method for balancing the load on virtual servers managed by server array controllers at separate data centers that are geographically distributed on a wide area network such as the Internet. The virtual servers provide access to resources associated with a domain name request by a client program. When a Primary Domain Name System (DNS) determined the requested domain name is delegated to a EDNS, the EDNS employs metric information and statistics to resolve an ip address for a virtual server that is selected by the EDNS to optimally balance the load and provide access to resources associated with the domain name. The EDNS may employ a static or a dynamic load balancing method to select the virtual server most suited to balance the load across all of the virtual servers. The EDNS may include a Primary DNS or a Secondary DNS. The EDNS employs an agent program located at geographically distributed data centers to collect metric information related to a host machine, server array controller, virtual servers and the path for providing resources associated with the domain name to a client making the request. The EDNS collects the metric information from the agent program out of band of the domain name resolution process. The server array controller may include the agent program and the agent program may be provided as a stand alone machine that is coupled to the server array controller or a host machine.

US Patent:

7146354, Dec 5, 2006

Filed:

Jun 19, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/596796

Inventors:

Scott P. Tennican - Seattle WA, US
Bryan D. Skene - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

F5 Networks, Inc. - Seattle WA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707 3

Abstract:

The invention provides for employing a complex data structure to optimize the retrieval of data from a data store over a network. The complex data structure includes two separate sub-data structures (Trie and List) that separately reference the same data objects in a data store. The complex data structure employs a functional interface to determine which data structure matches a particular function request for data. A Trie sub-data structure is used to fulfill a single data object request. The List sub-data structure is employed with function requests related to several data objects. Each data object is associated with a parent object that includes a list of every reference to the data object in both the Trie and List sub-data structures. When a data object is subsequently deleted, the parent object list is employed to automatically delete every reference to the deleted data object in both the Trie and List sub-data structures. A collector object is a type of data object that is associated with a member object and which includes a list of other related data/collector objects.