Method and system for directing a flow between a client and a server

A system for directing a flow between a client and a best-fit server, the system comprising:

• a plurality of servers;
• a flow switch coupled to the plurality of servers by an Internet Protocol network through one or more communication links, wherein the flow switch comprises:
• means for receiving a client request for content via the Internet Protocol network;
• means for deriving, from the client request, content type information descriptive of the type of content requested by the content request;
• means for deriving, from the client request, quality of service information descriptive of quality of service requirements of the content requested by the client request;
• means for selecting as the best-fit server a server from among a set of candidate servers serving the content requested by the client request, based on the content type information, the quality of service information, and a combination of server metrics descriptive of expected qualities of service provided by the candidate servers when serving the requested content;
• means for subsequently forwarding to the best-fit server transmissions originating from the client which are associated with the client request for content;
• and
• means for subsequently forwarding to the client transmissions originating from the best-fit server which are associated with the client request for content.

A flow switch in an Internet Protocol network, comprising:

• means for receiving a client request for content via the Internet Protocol network;
• means for deriving, from the client request, content type information descriptive of the type of content requested by the content request;
• means for deriving, from the client request, quality of service information descriptive of quality of service requirements of the content requested by the client request;
• means for selecting as the best-fit server a server from among a set of candidate servers serving the content requested by the client request, based on the content type information, the quality of service information, and at least one server metric descriptive of expected qualities of service provided by the candidate servers when serving the requested content;
• means for subsequently forwarding to the best-fit server transmissions originating from the client which are associated with the client request for content;
• and
• means for subsequently forwarding to the client transmissions originating from the best-fit server which are associated with the client request for content.