Patent ID: 7756972

Claim:
A method for controlling power consumption of a server, the method comprising: setting a limit of resource use for a first active server; measuring the resource use of the first active server; receiving a request for additional resource use; when the measured resource use of the first active server plus the request for additional resource are in a predetermined relationship with a pre-active threshold of a first connection rate, then initiating powering up of a inactive server into an active state in response to the measured resource use of the first active server achieving the pre-active threshold, the first connection rate of the pre-active threshold being less than a second connection rate of an active threshold , wherein said initiating powering up of the inactive server includes: sending a power up signal to the inactive server to initiate powering up of the inactive server before the second connection rate of the active threshold is reached; and upon reaching the pre-active threshold, initiating periodic keep alives to the inactive server to keep the inactive server powered up after the pre-active threshold is met and before the inactive server is activated to be assigned requests for additional resource use, wherein the periodic keep alives do not place the inactive server into an active state; placing the inactive server into the active state as a second active server when the active threshold is met; and assigning requests for additional resource use to the second active server.