Dropbox, Inc.
Centralized application-layer routing at the edge of an online application service provider network

Abstract:

Techniques for centralized application-layer routing at the edge of an online application service provider network. In some embodiments, for example, a method comprises: storing a data structure representing a digraph having nodes and directed edges connecting the nodes, the nodes including a source node and a destination node, each of the directed edges corresponding to a path in a network and associated with a cost and a capacity of the path; determining a maximum flow from the source node to the destination node wherein a total cost is minimized; based on the maximum flow, determining a respective weight for each of a plurality of network destinations in the network; receiving a first application layer network message at an edge device in the network; selecting a particular network destination of the plurality of network destinations based on the respective weights determined for the plurality of network destinations; and in response to the selecting the particular network destination, sending a second application layer network message that is based on the first application layer network message from the edge device to the particular network destination.