Patent ID: 6898633

Claim:
In a system including a client and a server system including a front end server and one or more back end servers, a method for directing a client request to a particular back end server, the method comprising the acts of: identifying the particular back end server from a directory if the client request is for a private folder, wherein only the particular back end server stores the private folder of the client; identifying the particular back end server from the directory if the client request is for a home public folder, wherein only the particular back end server stores the home public folder of the client; identifying the particular back end server, from a list of a plurality of back end servers capable of servicing the client request, using a selection module if the client request is for an application public folder, wherein the selection module identifies the same particular back end server from the list for each client request of a particular user; and directing the client request to the particular back end server.