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| 2004.03.04 |
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Large scale load sharing realized with the open source
- A high availability and high expandability load balancer that operates on the Linux developed -
NTT Comware Corporation (Hereinafter NTT Comware, Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President Yuji Matsuo) developed with the cooperation of VA Linux Systems Japan K.K. (Hereinafter VA Linux, Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President: Tetsuya Ueda), a load balancer with a open source base that is applicable to large scale systems and which operates on the Linux. In cooperation with VA Linux, NTT Comware will pursue the introduction to carriers as well as other enterprises.
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[ Outline ]
Service provider servers which are accessed by many users demonstrates high capability with the construction of parallel operation by multiple units. Load balancers set in front of each service provider server comfortably maintain response speed to users by conducting integrated management of demands from users and by equally sorting them. The construction of the load balancer is a gemination of the routinely activating operating system and the waiting system that activates in the event that the operating system stops due to failures.
In order to realize a load balancer that is based on an open source load sharing software (*) which operates on the Linux and is applicable to large scale systems, NTT Comware implemented the "TCP Fail-Over" function which provides high availability and the "Active-Active" function which produces high expandability.
The "TCP Fail-Over" is a function that carries over user information regarding connections to service provider servers from the operating system to the waiting system. Even if failures occur to the operating system load balancers, services to users that are accessed to the server at that point are provided without disconnections making it appropriate to systems that demand high availability.
The "Active-Active" function makes no distinctions between the operating system and the waiting system and constantly operates the load balancer of both. Now compared to the past, it is possible to process a vast number of accesses. In order to realize the "Active-Active", partial reconstruction of the Linux was conducted and a condition control mechanism for the load balancer was developed.
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[ The efforts of NTT Comware regarding the open source ]
NTT Comware recognized early on the importance of the role played by open source softwares such as Linux in customer-oriented flexible system architectures. The company established a Linux Center in 1999 and in the year 2000 started Japan's first total service regarding Linux from consulting to system architecture, operation and maintenance. Thus far, the company has many accomplishments with the Linux in the construction of NTT's communication system, transplants from UNIX and the architecture of VoIP and educational systems.
In November of 2003, the company successively participated in the industry-government-academia "Japan OSS Implementation Forum" and the global consortium, "Open Source Development Lab", which has its headquarters in the US. Also, the company is actively participating in the local NPO, a joint project of the industry-government-academia which is promoting Japan's open source.
Many of the approximately 3000 UNIX involved technical experts address Linux and make maximum use of their accumulated technical skills in order to continue to contribute to open source communities and to aspire to become a leading company in Japan's open source.
The recently developed load balancer is catered not only to enterprises but to carriers as well and is flexibly applicable to systems both small-scale and large-scale and supports the open source strategy of NTT Comware.
* Outline of the open source load sharing software
The recently developed large-scale system applicable open source load balancer is based on the open source load sharing software "UltraMonkey". The "UltraMonkey" which operates on the Linux kernel, utilizes the technologies of the "Linux Virtual Server" open source load sharing software, the technologies of the "Ldirectord" software which monitors actual server failures and conducts delinking in cases of server failures and the technologies of the "Heartbeat" server operation state monitoring software. Load sharing functions which up to now have often been provided with exclusive hardware devices have been realized with this software. It is already used by many Web hosting providers and in Japan it is used in all the networks of "OSDN Japan (Open Source Development Network Japan)" which comprises sites such as "Slashdot Japan", "SourceForge. JP" and "japan.linux.com".
•Company outline of "VA Linux Systems Japan"
VA Linux Systems Japan is a company which provides high level technology consulting and software solutions based on Linux and open source. The company was established in September 2000 and continues to grow as a core company which leads the Linux and open source business with its leading technology centered on the Linux kernel.
http://www.valinux.co.jp/
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