Patent ID: 8423662

Claim:
Apparatus for use in a distributed network, comprising: at least one processor, an operating system, and a process executed by the processor that manages incoming client requests and selectively forwards given service requests to at least one other server in the distributed network; storage coupled to the processor and including at least one queue; and code tangibly embodied on computer media and executed by the processor for performing the following operations: aggregating service requests in the queue for subsequent delivery to the at least one other server and dynamically adjusting a rate at which the process forwards service requests to the at least one other server based on an estimated load being sent to the at least one other server by the process; wherein the estimated load is calculated by: partitioning the estimated load among two or more service request types, wherein a service request type is defined by a particular file extension; assigning different load cost weight values to at least first and second service request types; calculating a load cost of each service request using the load cost weight value associated with the service request type; and summing the load costs; wherein the code adjusts the estimated load and thus the rate at which the process forwards the service requests to reflect the cost on the other server of processing service requests associated with the two or more service request types.