Patent ID: 8291108

Claim:
A method of performing load balancing of a service based on a user selected metric, the method comprising: identifying, via an appliance in communication via a network with a plurality of heterogeneous load balancing devices for which the appliance provides global server load balancing, a plurality of different metrics provided by the plurality of heterogeneous load balancing devices for a plurality of services to be load balanced by the appliance, the plurality of heterogeneous devices comprising devices of different types; receiving, by the appliance, information identifying selection by a user of a first metric of a first heterogeneous load balancing device of the plurality of heterogeneous load balancing devices from a plurality of metrics provided by the first heterogeneous load balancing device receiving, by the appliance, a first threshold designated by the user for the first user selected metric; determining, by the appliance from monitoring the first user selected metric collected from the first heterogeneous load balancing device, a load for the plurality of services based on the first user selected metric and the first user designated threshold; receiving, by the appliance, a request of a client for a service; determining, by the appliance, that the first user selected metric for a first service of the plurality of services has reached the user identified threshold; and selecting, by the appliance, a second service from the plurality of services to receive the request.