EP0384339A2
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: —
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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
2026-10-26 09:31
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: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
A method for allocating a plurality of servers, each server having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients for delivering a plurality of services to said clients, the method comprising the steps of: a) developing a network policy for said plurality of servers by collecting a local policy for each of said servers; b) receiving client requests for said services in at least one broker; c) suggesting by the broker one of said servers to one of said clients making a request based on the network policy and available resource capacity, said server being suggested having the available resource capacity to deliver said service.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
106 words
A method for allocating a plurality of servers, each server having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients for delivering a plurality of services to said clients, the method comprising the steps of: a) developing a network policy for said plurality of servers by collecting a local policy for each of said servers; b) receiving client requests for said services in at least one broker; c) suggesting by the broker one of said servers to one of said clients making a request based on the network policy and available resource capacity, said server being suggested having the available resource capacity to deliver said service.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of enforcing the local policy for each of said servers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
91 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein said step of suggesting a server further includes: a) creating a service list within said broker of available services from said network policy; b) creating a server list, containing server entries of available servers from said network policy, for supporting each of said services in said service list; and c) monitoring a subset of said server entries in said server list for each service to form a preview window in said broker for suggesting said servers represented in said server list to said clients.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
85 words
A method according to claim 3 wherein said step of monitoring said subset further includes the steps of: a) coupling a status path indicating available client slots from at least one of said plurality of servers supporting one of said services to said broker; b) comparing the available client slots for a first of said coupled servers being monitored against said first server's local policy; and c) determining whether said first server has an available client slot to deliver the service requested by said clients.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 4 wherein said step of suggesting is made when one of said servers being monitored has an available client slot to deliver said service.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein said step of enforcing said local policy is performed by said suggested server rejecting any client connection attempt exceeding its local policy limit.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method according to claim 6 further comprising the steps of: a) disconnecting the coupling of said first server when said first server's status path indicates no available client slots wherein its local policy limit is exceeded; and b) subsequently coupling to the broker another of said plurality of servers in said server list supporting said service having available client slots.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
91 words
A method according to claim 7 further comprising the steps of: a) developing a scan weight value for each of said plurality of servers 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; c) decreasing the scan weight value for said first server in the preview window after said first server is suggested to said client; and d) removing said first server from the preview window when said scan weight value is zero.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
126 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of developing a network policy includes: a) determining a set of service characteristics for each of said services; b) modelling said sets of service characteristics with the available resources of one of said servers to determine a service capability for said one server; c) comparing the service capability with an intended local policy for said one server to determine if there is a matching local policy; d) varying the sets of service characteristics and the available resources until said comparing step produces a matching local policy; e) storing said matching local policy; f) repeating steps a) - e) for each of said plurality of servers; and g) collecting said matching local policies to obtain a network policy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said computer network uses multiple brokers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 10 wherein said multiple brokers are exact replicas of each other and operating independently.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for allocating a plurality of servers, each server having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients in a network for delivering a plurality of services to said clients, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving client requests for said services in at least one broker; and b) forming a preview window of said plurality of servers and in said broker; and c) suggesting said servers represented in said preview window to said clients whereby communications overhead on the network is reduced.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for allocating a plurality of servers, each server having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients in a network for delivering a plurality of services to said clients, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving client requests for said services in at least one broker; and b) forming a preview window of said plurality of servers and in said broker; and c) suggesting said servers represented in said preview window to said clients whereby communications overhead on the network is reduced.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
104 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein said steps of forming a preview window and suggesting said servers further comprises: a) developing a network policy for said plurality of servers by collecting a local policy for each of said servers; b) creating a service list within said broker of available services from said network policy; c) creating a server list, containing server entries of available servers from said network policy, for supporting each of said services in said service list; and d) monitoring a subset of said server entries in the server list for each server to form the preview window for each service.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
85 words
A method according to claim 13 wherein said step of monitoring a subset further comprises the steps of: a) coupling a status path indicating available client slots from at least one of said plurality of servers supporting one of said services to said broker; b) comparing the available client slots for a first of said coupled servers being monitored against said first server's local policy; and c) determining whether said first server has an available client slot to deliver the service requested by said clients.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of suggesting is made when one of said servers being monitored has an available client slot to deliver said service.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 15 wherein said step of enforcing said local policy is performed by said suggested server rejecting any client connection attempt exceeding its local policy limit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method according to claim 16 further comprising the steps of: a) disconnecting the coupling of said first server when said first server's status path indicates no available client slots wherein its local policy limit is exceeded; and b) subsequently coupling to the broker another of said plurality of servers in said server list supporting said service having available client slots.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
91 words
A method according to claim 17 further comprising the steps of: a) developing a scan weight value for each of said plurality of servers 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; c) decreasing the scan weight value for said first server in the preview window after said first server is suggested to said client; and d) removing said first server from the preview window when said scan weight value is zero.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
126 words
A method according to claim 13 wherein said step of developing a network policy includes: a) determining a set of service characteristics for each of said services; b) modelling said sets of service characteristics with the available resources of one of said servers to determine a service capability for said one server; c) comparing the service capability with an intended local policy for said one server to determine if there is a matching local policy; d) varying the sets of service characteristics and the available resources until said comparing step produces a matching local policy; e) storing said matching local policy; f) repeating steps a) - e) for each of said plurality of servers; and g) collecting said matching local policies to obtain a network policy.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 12 wherein said computer network uses multiple brokers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 20 wherein said multiple brokers are exact replicas of each other operating independently.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
183 words
A device for allocating a plurality of servers, each having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients for delivering one of a plurality of services to said clients, said servers and said clients being arranged in a computer network, comprising: a) a broker including: (i) means for receiving client requests for said services; and (ii) means for suggesting by the broker one of said servers to one of said clients making a request based on a network policy and available resource capacity, said one server being suggested having the available resource capacity to deliver said service; said means for suggesting further comprising: 1) means for creating a service list, within said broker, of available services from said network policy; 2) means for creating a server list, containing server entries of available servers from said network policy, for supporting each of said services in said service list; and 3) means for monitoring a subset of said server entries in said server list that forms a preview window in said broker for suggesting said servers represented in said server list to said clients.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
183 words
A device for allocating a plurality of servers, each having an available resource capacity, to a plurality of clients for delivering one of a plurality of services to said clients, said servers and said clients being arranged in a computer network, comprising: a) a broker including: (i) means for receiving client requests for said services; and (ii) means for suggesting by the broker one of said servers to one of said clients making a request based on a network policy and available resource capacity, said one server being suggested having the available resource capacity to deliver said service; said means for suggesting further comprising: 1) means for creating a service list, within said broker, of available services from said network policy; 2) means for creating a server list, containing server entries of available servers from said network policy, for supporting each of said services in said service list; and 3) means for monitoring a subset of said server entries in said server list that forms a preview window in said broker for suggesting said servers represented in said server list to said clients.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
A device according to claim 22 further comprising means for enforcing said local policy for each of said servers.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
104 words
A device according to claim 23 wherein said network policy is a collection of a local policies for each of said servers and wherein said means for monitoring further comprises: a) a status path coupled from at least one of said plurality of servers supporting one of said services indicating available client slots for the server to said broker; b) means for comparing the available client slots for a first of said coupled servers being monitored against said first server's local policy; and c) means for determining whether said first server has an available client slot to deliver the service requested by said clients.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device according to claim 24 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 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device according to claim 25 wherein said means for enforcing includes said one server rejecting any connection attempt exceeding its local policy.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
92 words
A device according to claim 26 further comprising: a) a scan weight value developed for each of said plurality of servers based on said network policy; b) a scan weight entry containing the scan weight value stored in said broker for each server entry in said server list; c) means for decreasing the scan weight value for said first server in the preview window after said first server is suggested to said client; and d) means for removing said first server from the preview window when said scan weight value is zero.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
99 words
A broker according to claim 24 further comprising means for developing the network policy including: a) means for modelling a plurality of sets of service characteristics with the available resources of one of said servers to determine a service capability for said one server; b) means for comparing the service capability with an intended local policy for said one server to determine if there is a matching local policy; c) means for varying the sets of service characteristics and the available resources until said comparing step produces a matching local policy; d) means for storing said matching local policy.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
130 words
A computer network comprising: a) at least two brokers for allocating a plurality of servers having an available resource capacity to a plurality of clients for delivering one of a plurality of services to said clients; b) said brokers comprising: (i) means for developing a network policy for said plurality of servers by collecting a local policy for each of said servers; (ii) means for receiving client requests for said services in said broker; and (iii) means for suggesting by the broker one of said servers to one of said clients making a request based on the network policy and available resource capacity, said one server being suggested having the available resource capacity to deliver said service; and c) means for enforcing said local policy for each of said servers.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
130 words
A computer network comprising: a) at least two brokers for allocating a plurality of servers having an available resource capacity to a plurality of clients for delivering one of a plurality of services to said clients; b) said brokers comprising: (i) means for developing a network policy for said plurality of servers by collecting a local policy for each of said servers; (ii) means for receiving client requests for said services in said broker; and (iii) means for suggesting by the broker one of said servers to one of said clients making a request based on the network policy and available resource capacity, said one server being suggested having the available resource capacity to deliver said service; and c) means for enforcing said local policy for each of said servers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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