Slow-dynamic load balancing method
First Claim
1. A load balancing method for use in a data processing system with a distributed architecture including a plurality of servers and a plurality of clients, the method comprising for at least one client the steps of:
- associating the client with a preferred one of the servers, the preferred server storing specific information for the client;
detecting an indication of a workload and an indication of a response time of each server;
selecting an eligible one of the servers according to the workload and the response time of each server, wherein the step of selecting the eligible server includes;
(1) establishing an acceptable range of the response times, wherein the step of establishing the acceptable range includes setting a lower limit of the acceptable range to a lowest response time of the servers and setting an upper limit of the acceptable range to the lowest response time multiplied by a predefined factor;
(2) selecting a subset of the servers having the response time within the acceptable range; and
(3) setting the eligible server to a server of the subset having a lowest workload;
calculating at least one comparison parameter indicative of a performance difference between the preferred server and the eligible server; and
switching the preferred server to the eligible server and transferring the specific information to the eligible server in response to the reaching of a predefined threshold by the at least one comparison parameter.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A load balancing method and a corresponding system are proposed. The load balancing method is used in environments (e.g., implementing a licensing management application) wherein each client is associated with a preferred server storing specific information for the client. Each client periodically detects a workload and a response time of all the servers. The client selects a subset of nearest servers (according to their response times). The server in that subset with the lowest workload is set as an eligible server. Whenever a ratio between the workload of the preferred server and the workload of the eligible server exceeds a predefined threshold value (e.g., 1.1), the client switches to the eligible server (transferring the corresponding specific information). The method of the invention exhibits a slow dynamic, and tends to reach a steady condition (wherein the specific information of the clients is not continuously moved across the system).
83 Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A load balancing method for use in a data processing system with a distributed architecture including a plurality of servers and a plurality of clients, the method comprising for at least one client the steps of:
-
associating the client with a preferred one of the servers, the preferred server storing specific information for the client; detecting an indication of a workload and an indication of a response time of each server; selecting an eligible one of the servers according to the workload and the response time of each server, wherein the step of selecting the eligible server includes; (1) establishing an acceptable range of the response times, wherein the step of establishing the acceptable range includes setting a lower limit of the acceptable range to a lowest response time of the servers and setting an upper limit of the acceptable range to the lowest response time multiplied by a predefined factor; (2) selecting a subset of the servers having the response time within the acceptable range; and (3) setting the eligible server to a server of the subset having a lowest workload; calculating at least one comparison parameter indicative of a performance difference between the preferred server and the eligible server; and switching the preferred server to the eligible server and transferring the specific information to the eligible server in response to the reaching of a predefined threshold by the at least one comparison parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
Specification