Patent ID: 7464165

Claim:
A method for load balancing on a network without setting up virtual subnets, wherein said network includes at least a server, one or more clients, and a plurality of return options, said method comprising: allocating a plurality of sets of return options in a container, wherein each of said plurality of sets includes a plurality of return options, all return options in a same set are of a same type, and return options in at least two sets are of different types, and wherein each of the plurality of return options specifies control information for communication on the network by the client; and assigning a collection of return options to a client among the one or more clients on the network by reference to the container, wherein said collection of return options includes at least one return option from each of said plurality of sets of return options in the container, wherein each of said return options has a respective associated value representing a maximum number of clients that may be assigned to each of said return options and wherein said assigning further includes: repeatedly assigning a first return option out of each of said plurality of sets in response to requests by the one or more clients until said value associated with the first return option is reached; and in response to reaching the value associated with the first return option, assigning another return option out of each of said plurality of sets in response to requests by the one or more clients.