EP0384339B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Broker for computer network server selection
Assignee: Digital Equipment Corp
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Filing: 1990-02-19
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Granted: 1997-04-02
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Expires: 2010-02-19
Abstract
Abstract In a computer network, a broker mechanism allocates a plurality of servers, each having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients for delivering one of several services to the clients. The broker operates by monitoring a subset of all available servers capable of delivering the requested service. The allocation is based on developing a network policy for the plurality of servers by collecting a local policy for each of the servers. The broker receives client requests for the services and based on the network policy and available resource capacity suggests one of the servers, monitors in its subset for that particular service, to one of the clients making a request. The server suggested enforces its local policy by not allowing any connections exceeding its available resource capacity.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard P. Pitkin
- 👤 John P. Morency
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:02
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/50; G06F9/5005; G06F9/5027; G06F9/505; G06F9/5044; G06F2209/00; G06F2209/46; G06F2209/462; G06F2209/50; G06F2209/5015; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/10; H04L67/1001; H04L67/1004; H04L67/1008; H04L67/1029; H04L69/00; H04L69/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
332 words
A computer-implemented method for allocating a plurality of servers (21-27) in a network (5), each server having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients (11-19) for delivering a plurality of services (A 1 -An) to said clients, the method comprising the steps of: a) developing a network policy for said plurality of servers (21-27) by collecting a local policy for each of said servers, wherein the local policy for each server is based on an overall capacity of each server to deliver each of the plurality of services (A 1 -An) to said clients (11-19); b) receiving client requests for said services in at least one broker (30, 31); c) making a server suggestion, from the broker (30, 31) to one of said clients (11-19) making a request for one of said services (A 1 -An), the server suggestion identifying a suggested one of said servers based on the network policy and available resource capacities of said servers, said suggested one of said servers having the available resource capacity to deliver said one of said services; d) making a request for said one of said services (A 1 -An) from said one of said clients (11-19) to said suggested one of said servers (21-27) in response to said one of said clients receiving the server suggestion of step (c) from the broker (30, 31); e) operating the suggested one of said servers in accordance with its respective local policy to reject the request for said one of said services (A 1 -An) of step (d) when the request exceeds a local policy limit for the respective local policy of the suggested one of said servers; and f) operating the suggested one of said servers (21-29) in accordance with its respective local policy to accept the request for said one of said services (A 1 -An) of step (d) when the request does not exceed the local policy limit for the respective local policy of the suggested one of said servers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
94 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein step (c) further includes: a) creating a service list (71), within said broker (30, 31), of available services from said network policy; b) creating a respective server list (74) for each service in the service list, each server list containing a server entry for each server having the overall capacity to deliver a respective service; and c) monitoring, for each service in the service list (71), a subset of said server entire in said server list for suggesting said servers represented in said subset to said clients.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
98 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein said step of monitoring said subset further includes the steps of: a) establishing a data path (31-34), the data path providing connectivity between each server represented in the subset and the broker, the data path for transmitting information regarding the available resource capacity of each server represented in the subset to said broker; and b) determining whether a first server of the servers represented in the subset has an available client slot (105-108) to deliver the service requested by said clients based upon the available resource capacity of said first server.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein said step of making a suggestion is made when one of said servers being monitored has an available client slot (105-108) to deliver said service.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of: a) disconnecting the data path (31-34) from said first server when said data path indicates no available client slots (105-108); and b) subsequently establishing with the broker (30, 31) a data path from another of said plurality of servers in said server list (74) supporting said service having available client slots.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
97 words
A method according to claim 5 further comprising the steps of: a) developing a scan weight value (73) for each of said plurality of servers (21-27) supporting each service based on said network policy; b) creating a scan weight entry containing the scan weight value for each server entry in said server list (74); c) decreasing the scan weight value (73) for a selected one of said servers represented in the subset after said selected one is suggested to said client; and d) removing said selected one from the subset when said scan weight value is zero.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
146 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of developing a network policy includes: a) determining a set of service characters for each of said services; b) determining a service capability for one of said servers as a function of said sets of service characteristics and a set of server parameters of said one of said servers; c) comparing the service capability with a desired performance for said one server to determine if there is a match; d) varying the sets of service characteristics and the set of server parameters until said comparing step produces a match; e) storing said set of server parameters and said set of service characteristics as the local policy for said one server upon determination of a match; f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for each of said plurality of servers; and g) collecting said local policies to obtain a network policy.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim wherein said computer network (5) uses multiple brokers (30, 31).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 8 wherein said multiple brokers (30, 31) are exact replicas of each other and operating independently.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
255 words
A device for allocating a plurality of servers (21-27), each having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients (11-19) for delivering one of a plurality of services (A 1 -An) to said clients, said servers and said clients being arranged in a computer network (5), the device suggesting a suggested one of the plurality of servers (21-27) to a requesting one of the plurality of clients (11-19), the requesting one of the plurality of the clients (11-19) making a request for one of the plurality of services (A 1 -An) to the suggested one of the plurality of servers, the suggested one of the plurality of servers operating to reject the request for the one of the plurality of services when the request exceeds a local policy limit for a respective local policy of the suggested one of the plurality of servers (21-27), the suggested one of the plurality of servers operating to accept the request for said one of the plurality of services (A 1 -An) when the request does not exceed the local policy limit for the respective local policy of the suggested one of the plurality of servers, the device comprising: a) at least one broker (30, 31) including: (i) means for receiving client request for said service; and (ii) means for suggesting by the broker (30, 31) one of said servers to one of said clients making a request based on an available resource capacity, said one server being suggested having the available resource capacity to deliver said service.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
83 words
A device according to claim 10, wherein said service means for suggesting further comprises: 1) means for creating a service list (71), within said broker (30, 31), of available services; 2) means for creating a server list (74), containing server entries of available servers for supporting each of said services in said server list; and 3) means for monitoring a subset of said server entries in said server list (74) for suggesting said servers represented in said server list to said clients (11-19).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
77 words
A device according to claim 10 or 11 wherein said means for monitoring further comprises: a) a data path (31-34) establishing connectivity from each server in a set of servers supporting one of said services to said broker (30, 31), the data path for indicating available client slots (105-108) for the server to said broker; and b) means for determining whether said first server has an available client slot to deliver the service requested by the clients.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device according to claim 12 wherein said means for suggesting sends a message to said client when one of said servers has an available client slot to deliver said service.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
94 words
A device according to claim 13 further comprising: a) a scan weight value (73) developed for each of said plurality of servers (21-27); b) a scan weight entry containing the scan weight value stored in said broker (30, 31) for each server entry in said server list; c) means for decreasing the scan weight value (73) for said first server in the preview window (72) after said first server is suggested to said client; and d) means for removing said first server from the preview window (72) when said scan weight value is zero.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
168 words
A device according to claim 12 wherein the device further comprises: means for developing a network policy including, a) means for determining a service capability for each server (21-27) based on a plurality of sets of service characteristics and a set of local policy parameters; b) means for comparing, for each of said servers, the service capability with a desired performance for each server to determine if there is a match; c) means for varying, for each of said servers (21-27), the sets of service characteristics and the set of local policy parameters until said comparing step produces a match; and d) means for storing, for each of said servers (21-27), said set of local policy parameters and said sets of service characteristics as the local policy for each server upon determination of a match; means for suggesting by the broker (30, 31) one of said servers to one of said clients based on the network policy and the available resource capacity of said one of said servers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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