Arrangement for selecting a server to provide distributed services from among multiple servers based on a location of a client device

2-54. (canceled)

An apparatus comprising:

• a storage arrangement, the storage arrangement being arranged to store information that identifies a plurality of server machines located throughout a network having an identifiable network topology, wherein the plurality of server machines are each configured to provide a specified service at the request of a client machine located within the identifiable network topology in the network;
• and
• a network interface circuit arranged to provide a resource to the client machine, the resource being configured to enable the client machine to select a first server machine from among the plurality of server machines to provide the specified service to the client machine, based on the client machine determining the first server machine is at a server location having a minimum distance relative to a client location associated with the client machine.

An apparatus comprising:

• a storage arrangement, the storage arrangement being arranged to store information that identifies a plurality of server machines located throughout a network having an identifiable network topology, wherein the plurality of server machines are each configured to provide a specified service at the request of a client machine located within the identifiable network topology in the network;
• and
• a network interface circuit arranged to provide a resource to the client machine, the resource being configured to enable the client machine to select a first server machine from among the plurality of server machines to provide the specified service to the client machine, based on the client machine determining the first server machine has the same subnet prefix as the client machine in respective IP addresses used by the first server machine and the client machine.