Method and apparatus for flash load balancing

• US 20020038331A1
• Filed: 09/12/2001
• Published: 03/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Progress Software Corporation
• Inventors: Flavin, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,050,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An infrastructure for application service provision compiles a web top for a user to use in launching applications. The links in the web top are calculated to point to servers that have the best performance criteria for each permitted application and server available to the user. The link calculation may be made based on CPU usage, memory usage, the last server that the user was attached to and any other performance criteria.

Claims

1. A method of load balancing authorized applications for a user, comprising:

monitoring at least one performance characteristic of at least one application server;

storing performance information for the monitored servers in a flash database;

storing user access information in an access database;

calculating, based on the flash database and the access database, an address of the best performing server for each permitted application for the user; and

assembling a web page having at least one link, each link corresponding to an address of the best performing server for a permitted application for the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a user logout; and

storing in the flash database the identity of the last server that the user was connected to.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the calculating includes each link based in part on the identity of the last server that the user was connected to.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the calculating is performed by determining a score based on at least one of CPU usage and memory usage.