Load-aware load-balancing cluster

A method, operable in a system comprising:

• (i) a switch having a plurality of ports;
• and
• (ii) a plurality of servers connected to at least some of the plurality of ports of the switch, each of said servers being addressable by the same virtual Internet Protocol (VIP) address,
• the method comprising:
• (A) said first server determining said first server's own measured load;
• (B) said first server converting said first server's own measured load to a corresponding own particular load category of a plurality of load categories;
• (C) said first server providing said own particular load category to other servers of said plurality of servers;
• (D) said first server obtaining load category information from other servers of said plurality of servers;
• (E) said first server maintaining, as an indication of server load of each of said plurality of servers, said first server's own particular load category and said load category information from said other servers.

A load-aware load-balancing cluster comprising:

• (A) a switch having a plurality of ports;
• and
• (B) a plurality of servers connected to at least some of the plurality of ports of the switch, each of said servers being addressable by the same virtual Internet Protocol (VIP) address,
• each particular server of said plurality of servers constructed and adapted to:
• (b1) determine said particular server's own measured load;
• (b2) convert said particular server's own measured load to a corresponding own particular load category of a plurality of load categories;
• (b3) provide said particular server's own particular load category to other servers of said plurality of servers;
• (b4) obtain load category information from other servers of said plurality of servers;
• (b5) maintain, as an indication of server load of each of said plurality of servers, said particular server's own particular load category and said load category information from said other servers.

A method, operable in a system comprising:

• (i) a switch having N ports, N>1;
• and
• (ii) M servers connected to at least some of the plurality of ports of the switch, each of said M servers being addressable by the same virtual Internet Protocol (VIP) address, where M N,
• the method comprising:
• (A) by each server of said M servers, maintaining for each of said M servers an indication of server load of each of said M servers, the indication of server load of each of server comprising a load category for said server, each said load category being one of K load categories, K>1;
• (B) in response to a connection request to connect to a server associated with said VIP address, said connection request having been provided via the switch to each of the M servers connected to the switch, at least one of said M servers determining which server of said cluster of servers is to handle the connection, wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on a given function of information used to request the connection and on said indication of server load of each of said M servers.