Patent ID: 8260958

Claim:
A load balancer processing unit that balances communications over a network, comprising: a network interface; a routing module that routes client requests received through the network interface to a plurality of servers; and a power conservation unit that operates in a plurality of modes, including at least: a learning mode that performs actions over a period of time, including: determining one or more operation parameters of the servers for a plurality of different external conditions and for a plurality of different values of one or more operation parameters of the routing module by testing a plurality of test load values and test load balance parameter values; transmitting a plurality of test requests to the servers as prescribed by at least one test load balance parameter value, wherein at least one of the operation parameters are determined based on the transmission; and generating a correlation table between the determined operation parameters of the routing module and the external conditions; and a routing mode in which the power conservation unit adjusts the operation parameters of the routing module responsive to the external conditions, using the correlation table.