Patent ID: 7974300

Claim:
A method of selecting a channel instance for connecting a client with a server in a multi-channel computer system including one or more clients, a multitude of servers and a multitude of channel instances for connecting the clients with the servers, and wherein when a new channel instance is used for connecting one of the clients with one of the servers, defined channel information is established for said new channel instance, the method comprising the steps of: when a new application connection request is made from one of the clients, locking existing channel information; after said locking, scanning through a list of channel connections for one of the channel instances that is a candidate for said new application connection request; in response to finding a candidate channel instance, queuing the new application connection request against the candidate channel instance, wherein the candidate channel instance is in the process of connecting one of the clients and one of the servers; determining a number of other application connection requests in the process of connecting to the candidate channel instance; based on said number, continuing or discontinuing with said process of connecting the new application connection request on to the candidate channel instance; and when the candidate channel instance does not complete connecting said one of the clients and said one of the servers within a defined time period, unqueuing said new application connection request against the candidate channel instance, and using a new channel instance for the new application connection request.