Patent ID: 7930394

Claim:
A method of routing network traffic on a computer network, comprising: transmitting instructions to a client, the instructions executable by the client to: transmit a first content request to a first content server via an intermediate routing system, the first content request causing the first content server to transmit content to the client responsive to reception of the first content request at the first content server; transmit a second content request to a second content server via the intermediate routing system, the second content request causing the second content server to transmit content to the client responsive to reception of the second content request at the second content server; measure a first network performance characteristic indicating a first period of time from transmission of the first content request to reception at the client of the content transmitted by the first content server; measure a second network performance characteristic indicating a second period of time from transmission of the second content request to reception at the client of the content transmitted by the second content server; and issue a report to an administrative server, the report including the first network performance characteristic and the second network performance characteristic; comparing the first network performance characteristic to the second network performance characteristic, wherein comparing the first network performance characteristic to the second network performance characteristic includes identifying a shorter period of time from one of the first period of time and the second period of time; selecting a target content server from one of the first content server and the second content server based on comparison of the first network performance characteristic to the second network performance characteristic, wherein selecting the target content server includes selecting the target content server from one of the first content server and the second content server associated with the shorter period of time; and transmitting routing instructions to the intermediate routing system, the routing instructions being executable by the intermediate routing system to direct subsequent content requests transmitted by the client to the target content server.