초록 ▼

A client request directed to a web site or other service hosted by a distributed pool of servers is processed by a client agent associated with the client. The client agent intercepts the client request and routes it to a particular one of the servers in the pool. The client agent bases its routing

A client request directed to a web site or other service hosted by a distributed pool of servers is processed by a client agent associated with the client. The client agent intercepts the client request and routes it to a particular one of the servers in the pool. The client agent bases its routing decision on address information regarding the individual servers of the pool and performance data regarding processing of previous client requests directed to the service. The address information may be retrieved by the client agent from a response to an initial client request directed to the service. The performance data may include response times for servicing previous client requests directed to the service, and the client agent may route the client request such that an average response time of multiple requests to the service is minimized. It may also make use of a probabilistic routing strategy which ensures that each of the servers in the pool receives at least one client request, such that accurate performance data may be maintained for all of the servers. A pricing manager associated with the server pool may be used to establish discount factors or other pricing information for each of the servers in the pool. This pricing information is communicated to the client agents and used in their routing decisions, so as to ensure that otherwise non-cooperating client agents will route their requests in a manner consistent with a target operating point established by the service provider.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method of processing a client request directed from a client to a service hosted by a pool of servers, the method comprising the steps of:intercepting a client request directed to the service hosted by the server pool; andselecting a particular one ofthe servers in the

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A method of processing a client request directed from a client to a service hosted by a pool of servers, the method comprising the steps of:intercepting a client request directed to the service hosted by the server pool; andselecting a particular one ofthe servers in the server pool to which to route the client request based on address information and performance data regarding the servers, wherein at least a portion of the address information and the performance data is gathered by a given client agent associated with the client, the given client agent gathering the portion ofthe address information and the performance data by processing responses to one or more previous client requests generated by the corresponding client and directed by the client agent to servers of the server pool using a routing strategy which ensures that each of the servers in the server pool receives at least one client request, and further wherein the selecting step utilizes additional information received from an entity associated with the server pool such that a plurality of otherwise non-cooperating client agents including the given client agent route their requests in accordance with a target operating point for the server pool.