METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING ALLOCATION OF CLIENTS TO SERVERS
First Claim
1. A method of allocating clients to a first server, the method including the steps of:
- a) determining, as between said first server and a second server, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server with the greater number of allocated clients; and
b) if said first server is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of a client from said second server to said first server, and further including the step of;
c) if the number of clients allocated to any server falls below a first threshold level, powering down said server.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to assignment of mobile clients (such as mobile telephones or software agents) to mainly stationary servers (such as mobile network base stations or computer servers) with the objective of reducing or minimizing the number of active servers. Once the number of users of a server drops below a specified level, the server may be deactivated resulting in power and efficiency savings. Preferably the method of the invention operates dynamically and during run time. In certain embodiments, the method can accept trade-offs in the quality of service or the number of active servers. In an embodiment of the invention, servers are arranged to “compete” with adjacent servers for their clients. This competition may be in a self-amplifying manner such that with the effect that more “popular” servers are more likely to succeed thus resulting in servers which are below a utilization threshold and can therefore be switched off.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of allocating clients to a first server, the method including the steps of:
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a) determining, as between said first server and a second server, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server with the greater number of allocated clients; and b) if said first server is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of a client from said second server to said first server, and further including the step of; c) if the number of clients allocated to any server falls below a first threshold level, powering down said server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A server for supplying a service to a plurality of clients, the system having a control unit, wherein said control unit is arranged to:
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manage the allocation of clients to said server by; a) determining, as between the server and a second server, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server with the greater number of allocated clients; b) if said server is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of a client from said second server to said server; c) following a contest with another server, determining the number of clients allocated to said server; and d) if said determined number of clients falls below a first threshold level, powering down said server. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system having a plurality of servers connected by a communications network, each of said servers supplying a service to one or more clients, and each of said servers having a control unit, wherein said control units are arranged to:
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manage the allocation of clients to the servers by; a) determining, as between a first and a second server, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server with the greater number of allocated clients; and b) if said second server is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of a client from said first server to said second server; c) following a contest with another server, determining the number of clients allocated to each server; and d) if said determined number of clients falls below a first threshold level, powering down said server. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A mobile telecommunications system having:
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a plurality of base-stations for supplying a mobile telecommunications network to one or more mobile telephone handsets, each of said handsets being either allocated to one of said base-stations or being unallocated; and a communications network connecting said base-stations, wherein each of said base-stations has a control unit, said control units being arranged to manage the allocation of said mobile handsets to the base-stations by; a) identifying the potential for switching the allocation of a handset from a first base-station to a second base-station; b) determining, as between the first and second base-stations, a contest which is weighted in favour of the base-station with the greater number of allocated handsets; and c) if said second base-station is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of said handset from said first base-station to said second base-station; d) following a contest with another base-station, determining the number of handsets allocated to each base-station; and e) if said determined number of handsets falls below a first threshold level, disabling said base-station.
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28. A computer network having:
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a plurality of client computers; a plurality of server computers for supplying services to one or more of said client computers, each of said client computers being either allocated to one of said server computers; and a communications network connecting said server computers and said client computers, wherein each of said server computers has a control unit, said control units being arranged to manage the allocation of said client computers to the server computers by; a) identifying the potential for switching the allocation of a client computer from a first server computers to a second server computer; b) determining, as between the first and second server computers, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server computer with the greater number of allocated client computers; and c) if said second server computer successful in said contest, changing the allocation of said client computer from said first server computer to said second server computer; d) following a contest with another server computer, determining the number of client computers allocated to each server computer; and e) if said determined number of client computers falls below a first threshold level, disabling said server computer.
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Specification