Patent ID: 7395335
Filing Date: 2008-07-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for determining which of a plurality of game services included in a cluster of nodes is to be an intake for a type of game by responding to a plurality of different types of incoming messages for load-balancing at each node included in the cluster of nodes, wherein the plurality of different types of incoming messages are received from a plurality of sources in the cluster, including from other nodes, comprising the steps of: (a) at each node, determining a type of the incoming message that has been received; (b) determining an appropriate response to be performed by a load-balancer running on the node, for each incoming message, based on one of a frequency, a content, and the type of the incoming message; and (c) determining one of the incoming messages is an intake message which designates that one of the game services on the node is to be the intake, and thereafter designating the game service as the intake for the corresponding type of game, wherein as the intake, the game service receives all requests from any client wishing to participate in that type of game.