Patent ID: 8676994
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: transmitting, by a computer system to two or more server systems, a request to connect the computer system to an application serviced by the two or more server systems, the request including an identifier of the application; receiving the request at the two or more server systems from the computer system; determining, by each one of the two or more server systems in response to the request and based on the application identifier, (i) the one server system's own priority code that represents at least in part a load level of the one server system, and (ii) whether the one server system is a preferred one of the two or more server systems for connection; transmitting, to the computer system by the preferred one of the two or more server systems, a priority code of the preferred one; transmitting, to the computer system by respective one or more other server systems of the two or more server systems after a predetermined delay from said transmitting the priority code of the preferred one, one or more other priority codes of the respective one or more other server systems of the two or more server systems; receiving, by the computer system, the transmitted priority code of the preferred one; starting, by the computer system, a predefined time window upon said receiving the priority code of the preferred one; receiving, by the computer system during the predefined time window, at least one of the transmitted one or more other priority codes of the respective one or more other server systems of the two or more server systems; selecting, by the computer system, one of the two or more server systems through which to connect the computer system to the application serviced by the two or more server systems based on both of (i) the priority code received from and representing the load level of the preferred one and (ii) the at least one of the one or more other priority codes received from and representing respective load levels of the respective one or more other server systems that were received during the predefined window having a most favorable priority; and connecting, by the computer system, to the selected one of the two or more server systems.