Arista Networks, Inc.
Implementing History-Based Connection-Server Affinity On A Network Load Balancer

Abstract:

Techniques for implementing history-based connection-server affinity on a network load balancer are provided. In one set of embodiments, the network load balancer can receive a network packet destined for a service, where the service is associated with a plurality of servers, and where the packet is part of a network connection between a client device and one of the plurality of servers. The network load balancer can further compute, using a portion of the packet, a bucket identifier of a bucket for the network connection, identify a first server in the plurality of servers that is currently mapped to the bucket identifier in a hash table, and send the packet to the first server. If the network load balancer receives the packet back from the first server, the network load balancer can determine, based on local history information, a second server that was previously mapped to the bucket identifier in the hash table and send the packet to that second server.