Patent ID: 7257634

Claim:
A content aware flow switch interconnecting a plurality of web servers and at least one client side device, comprising: a client side interface operable to connect a plurality of client computing devices for receiving client requests for content and delivering network services in the form of media content responsive to the client requests; a content server database operable to store server metrics and content switching criteria, and further operable to derive content information from the client request, the content information indicative of criteria for processing the client request a flow admission controller for identifying, from among a plurality of servers, a set of potential servers adapted to service the client request, the set of potential servers each having a plurality of server metrics indicative of server resources; and a web flow redirector operable to compute, based on analyzing the derived content information and the content switching criteria, a best-fit server from the set of potential servers, the best fit server having a high correspondence between the plurality of server metrics and the criteria for processing the client request.