Network load balancing for multi-computer server by counting message packets to/from multi-computer server

Claim 2

A message dispatch system for a multi-computer server which comprises a plurality of server computers having respective server network links, said message dispatch system being connectable to an external telecommunications network and comprising: a message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said server network links; said message dispatcher being configured to determine one of said server computers to which one of said external client requests is to be dispatched in response to parameters representative of network loading on said server network links; and wherein said parameters comprise parameters representative of return traffic on said server network links.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 , comprising a switch connected to said message dispatcher, said switch being connected to each of said network server links.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 , wherein said message dispatcher mechanism is responsive to a record of traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective server network links, which record is maintained at said switch.

Claim 5

The system of claim 3 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message packets to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message bytes to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 7

The system of claim 3 , wherein said record comprises a record of dropped message packets for said network servers links.

Claim 8

The system of claim 2 , wherein said message dispatcher is responsive to a record of traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective server network links, which record is maintained at a traffic monitor connected to a connection between said message dispatcher and said switch.

Claim 9

The system of claim 7 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message packets to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 10

The system of claim 7 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message bytes to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1 , comprising a traffic monitor configured to monitor parameters representative of message traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective network server links, said message dispatcher being configured to receive said parameters from said traffic monitor.

Claim 12

The system of claim 10 , wherein said traffic monitor is responsive to source address information in messages received from said server computers via said server network links to monitor the volume of traffic from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 13

The system of claim 11 , wherein said traffic monitor maintains a count of message packets from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 14

The system of claim 11 , wherein said traffic monitor comprises a count of message bytes from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 15

The system of claim 10 , wherein said traffic monitor is responsive to destination information for messages dispatched by said message dispatcher to said server computers via said server network links to monitor the volume of traffic to said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 16

The system of claim 14 , wherein said traffic monitor maintains a count of message packets from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 17

The system of claim 14 , wherein said traffic monitor comprises a count of message bytes from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 18

The system of claim 10 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message packets to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 19

The system of claim 10 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message bytes to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 20

The system of claim 1 , wherein said message dispatcher is connected directly to said server network links.

Claim 21

The system of claim 1 , wherein said message dispatcher is configured to modify a destination address of a received external client request for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network to address a selected one of said server computers.

Claim 22

The system of claim 1 configured to be addressable from said external telecommunications network by messages having an address of said multi-computer server.

Claim 23

The system of claim 1 , wherein said telecommunications network is the Internet, said multi-computer server is an Internet server and said messages are Internet messages.

Claim 24

The system of claim 1 , wherein said system is a software system configured to be operable on a computer connectable to the external telecommunications network such that said system is addressable by said multi-computer server address.

Claim 27

The method of claim 24 , comprising an additional step of maintaining a record at said switch of traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective network server links.

Claim 28

The method of claim 25 , wherein said record comprises a record of dropped message packets.

Claim 29

The method of claim 24 , wherein said step (a) comprises receiving external client requests having an address of said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network.

Claim 30

The method of claim 24 , wherein said telecommunications network is the Internet, said multi-computer server is an Internet server and said messages are Internet messages.

Claim 31

The method of claim 24 , further comprising monitoring traffic parameters representative of message traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective links, step (b) comprising a step of responding to said parameters.

Claim 32

The method of claim 24 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message packets to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 33

The method of claim 24 , wherein said parameters comprise a count of message bytes to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 34

The method of claim 24 , wherein said further step comprises responding to source address information in messages received from said server computers via said links to monitor the volume of traffic from said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 35

The method of claim 24 , wherein said further step comprises responding to destination information for messages dispatched by said message dispatcher to said server computers via said links to monitor the volume of traffic to said server computers on said respective server network links.

Claim 36

The method of claim 24 , comprising an extra step of maintaining a record, at a traffic monitor for a connection between said message dispatcher and said switch, of traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective links.

Claim 37

The method of claim 24 , wherein step (c) comprises modifying a destination address of a received external client request for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network to address a selected one of said server computers.

Claim 38

A message dispatch system for a multi-computer server which comprises a plurality of server computers connected via respective server network links to a common switch, said message dispatch system being connectable to an external telecommunications network and comprising: a first message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said switch and said server network links; and at least one further message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said switch and said server network links; each message dispatcher being configured to determine one of said server computers to which one of said external client requests is to be dispatched in response to parameters representative of the network loading on said server network links; and wherein said parameters comprise parameters representative of return traffic on said server network links.

Claim 39

A message dispatch system for a multi-computer server which comprises a plurality of server computers connected via respective server network links to a common switch, said message dispatch system being connectable to an external telecommunications network and comprising: a first message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said switch and said server network links; and at least one further message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said switch and said server network links; each message dispatcher being configured to determine one of said server computers to which one of said external client requests is to be dispatched in response to parameters representative of the network loading on said server network links; and wherein said parameters comprise parameters representative of return traffic on said server network links.

Claim 40

The system of claim 36 , wherein each message dispatcher is response to a common set of parameters representative of network loading on said server network links.

Claim 41

The system of claim 37 , wherein each message dispatcher is responsive to a respective set of parameters representative of network loading on said server network links, each dispatcher being responsive to each other dispatcher to coordinate message dispatching.

Claim 42

A computer software message dispatch system for a multi-computer server which comprises a plurality of server computers connected via respective server network links, wherein said computer software message dispatch system is provided on a data carrier, is configured to be connectable to an external telecommunications network and comprises: a message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said server network links; said message dispatcher being configured to determine one of said server computers to which one of said external client requests is to be dispatched in response to parameters representative of network loading on said server network links; and wherein said parameters comprise parameters representative of return traffic on said server network links.

Claim 43

A computer software message dispatch system for a multi-computer server which comprises a plurality of server computers connected via respective server network links, wherein said computer software message dispatch system is provided on a data carrier, is configured to be connectable to an external telecommunications network and comprises: a message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multi-computer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said server network links; said message dispatcher being configured to determine one of said server computers to which one of said external client requests is to be dispatched in response to parameters representative of network loading on said server network links; and wherein said parameters comprise parameters representative of return traffic on said server network links.

Claim 44

A message dispatch system for a multi-computer server which comprises a plurality of server computers having respective server network links, said message dispatch system being connectable to an external telecommunications network and comprising: a message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multicomputer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said server network links; a traffic monitor configured to monitor parameters representative of network traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective network server links, said message dispatcher being configured to receive said parameters from said traffic monitor; wherein said parameters comprise a count of message bytes to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links; wherein said message dispatcher is configured to determine one of said server computers to which one of said external client requests is to be dispatched in response to said parameters representative of network loading on said server network links; wherein said traffic monitor is responsive to source address information in messages received from said server computers via said server network links to monitor the volume of traffic from said server computers on said respective server network links; wherein said traffic monitor is responsive to destination information for messages dispatched by said message dispatcher to said server computers via said server network links to monitor the volume of traffic to said server computers on said respective server network links; and wherein said parameters comprise parameters representative of return traffic on said server network links.

Claim 45

A message dispatch system for a multi-computer server which comprises a plurality of server computers having respective server network links, said message dispatch system being connectable to an external telecommunications network and comprising: a message dispatcher configured to receive external client requests for said multicomputer server from said external telecommunications network and to dispatch said client requests to selected server computers via said server network links; a traffic monitor configured to monitor parameters representative of network traffic to and/or from individual server computers via said respective network server links, said message dispatcher being configured to receive said parameters from said traffic monitor; wherein said parameters comprise a count of message bytes to and/or from said server computers on said respective server network links; wherein said message dispatcher is configured to determine one of said server computers to which one of said external client requests is to be dispatched in response to said parameters representative of network loading on said server network links; wherein said traffic monitor is responsive to source address information in messages received from said server computers via said server network links to monitor the volume of traffic from said server computers on said respective server network links; wherein said traffic monitor is responsive to destination information for messages dispatched by said message dispatcher to said server computers via said server network links to monitor the volume of traffic to said server computers on said respective server network links; and wherein said parameters comprise parameters representative of return traffic on said server network links.