Patent ID: 8151338
Filing Date: 2012-04-03
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, on an intermediate system, an authentication request for authenticating a client, the client being one of a plurality of clients; identifying, using the intermediate system, a server for servicing the authentication request, the server being one of a plurality of servers, wherein the identifying comprises determining, based on information provided by the plurality of servers, whether at least one server from the plurality of servers is reserved for servicing requests from the client; based on identifying the server for servicing the authentication request, forwarding, using the intermediate system, the authentication request to the identified server; based on receiving the authentication request from the intermediate system, servicing the authentication request using the identified server; reserving a service for the client for a specified term of use using the identified server such that authentication requests from the client during the specified term of use are forwarded to the identified server; configuring the intermediate system to route subsequent authentication requests from the client to the identified server for the specified term of use, wherein the configuring comprises receiving, at the intermediate system, information indicating reservation of the service for the client; and terminating the reservation using the identified server upon expiration of the specified term of use.