Resource management
First Claim
1. A method of providing a service to a client from one of a plurality of servers, each of the servers being capable of providing the service to the client and each of the servers being associated with a service address common to all of the servers, the method comprising the steps of receiving a request for the service from the client, the request specifying the common service address;
- in response to the request, connecting the client to one of the plurality of servers;
receiving, at the client, information identifying each of the plurality of servers from the server to which the client is connected; and
selecting, at the client, one of the plurality of servers as the server to be used to provide the service to the client.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of load balancing for establishing persistent connections over the Internet, in which a client connects to a server an receives a list of servers capable of providing a service, together with status information indicating which of the servers are available, the number of users currently being served by each server and a priority grouping to which each server belongs. Based on the list, the client makes a decision as to the server that is to provide the service.
34 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of providing a service to a client from one of a plurality of servers, each of the servers being capable of providing the service to the client and each of the servers being associated with a service address common to all of the servers, the method comprising the steps of
receiving a request for the service from the client, the request specifying the common service address; -
in response to the request, connecting the client to one of the plurality of servers;
receiving, at the client, information identifying each of the plurality of servers from the server to which the client is connected; and
selecting, at the client, one of the plurality of servers as the server to be used to provide the service to the client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A client for use in a client-server system, comprising:
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means for requesting a service, the request specifying a service address common to all of a plurality of servers, each of the plurality of servers being capable of providing the service to the client;
means operable to connect to one of the plurality of servers;
means operable to receive information from the server to which the client is connected, said information identifying each of the plurality of servers; and
means for selecting one of the plurality of servers as the server to be used to provide the service to the client. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A server for use in a client-server system having a plurality of servers, each of the servers being capable of providing a service to the client and each of the servers being associated with a service address common to all of the servers, the server comprising:
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means configured to receive information relating to each of the plurality of servers;
means configured to connect to the client in response to a request from the client for the service, the request specifying the common service address;
means configured to send information to the client, the information identifying each of the plurality of servers to the client; and
means configured to connect to the client in response to a selection, at the client, of one of the plurality of servers as the server to be used to provide the service to the client. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A client-server system having a plurality of servers, each of the servers being capable of providing the service to the client and each of the servers being associated with a service address common to all of the servers, the system comprising:
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means for communicating information between the servers so that each of the plurality of severs maintains information relating to all of the servers;
means for receiving a request for the service from the client, the request specifying the common service address;
means configured to connect the client to one of the plurality of servers in response to the request;
means for sending server information to the client from the server to which the client is connected, said server information identifying each of the plurality of servers to the client; and
means for selecting, at the client, one of the plurality of servers as the server to be used to provide the service to the client. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification