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, wherein the contest is determined by the formula;
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.
5 Citations
26 Claims
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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, wherein the contest is determined by the formula; - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A server for supplying a service to a plurality of clients, the server 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, wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula; - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. 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, wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula; - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. 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 wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula;
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26. 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 wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula;
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Specification