Patent ID: 7844839
Filing Date: 2010-11-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, with an intermediate network device, a network communication from a computer network, wherein the intermediate network device is located between a client device and a plurality of servers; determining a network application associated with the network communication; identifying a set of the plurality of servers able to process the network communication; accessing a set of stored power consumption profiles that specify rates of electrical power consumption for each of the servers at a plurality of levels of granularity, wherein, for each power consumption profile, the levels of granularity specify a first level that specifies an average power consumption rate for the server, a second level that specifies power consumption rates for the server with respect to a plurality of different types of network applications, and a third level that specifies power consumption rates for the server with respect to a plurality of individual network resources for each of the different types of network applications; determining the rate of electrical power consumption for each of the servers using the power consumption profile of the servers; selecting a server in the set of servers as a function of the power consumption rate for each of the servers, wherein the power consumption rate specifies an amount of power consumed by the respective server when processing network communications associated with the network application; and forwarding the network communication to the selected server.