At its simplest definition session based outbound load balancing is the ability to make an intelligent decision on which, of multiple, WAN connections on which to start a session.\u00a0\u00a0 In today\u2019s networks where multiple WAN connections are becoming more and more prevalent this doesn\u2019t seem like a revolutionary concept, however 1999 that was not the case.<\/p>\n
In 1999 Windows NT was still battling Novell Netware for supremacy in corporate IT, there was still a discussion of whether TCP\/IP or IPX\/SPX would be the network protocol standard, and while most of the world was worrying whether or not computers would stop working on Y2K FatPipe filed for its second patent.<\/p>\n
US Patent #6,493,341 was awarded December 10, 2002 and contains 23 technical claims.\u00a0 A simple summary of this patent is a when controller receives a SYN packet destined for an external network, the controller makes a decision based on a least one load balancing criterion as to which WAN router to forward that SYN packet.<\/p>\n