Data network load management

A network communications system comprising a plurality of devices interconnected for the exchange of data, the system including:

• a user device including a communications subsystem operable to establish communications with selected other devices of the system;
• a plurality of servers;
• at least one domain master station, the station being connected to monitor communications traffic loading at each of a respective group of said servers;
• a redirector station coupled with said at least one domain master station and accessible by said user device, said redirector station being arranged to select an optimum server to handle communications of a user device on the basis of both the physical location relative to the user device and current communications traffic loading, and to instruct said user device to re-establish network communications via said selected server;
• a plurality of user devices and domain master stations, each user device being registered as a client with at least two domain masters, each such domain master including storage means maintaining a database of registered user device identification data;
• and
• a plurality of redirector stations, with the user device holding means for accessing at least two of said redirector stations.

A network communications system comprising a plurality of devices interconnected for the exchange of data, the system including:

• a user device including a communications subsystem operable to establish communications with selected other devices of the system;
• a plurality of servers;
• at least one domain master station, the station being connected to monitor communications traffic loading at each of a respective group of said servers;
• a redirector station coupled with said at least one domain master station and accessible by said user device, said redirector station being arranged to select an optimum server to handle communications of a user device on the basis of both the physical location relative to the user device and current communications traffic loading, and to instruct said user device to re-establish network communications via said selected server;
• and
• a plurality of user devices and domain master stations, each user device being registered as a client with at least two domain masters, each such domain master including storage means maintaining a database of registered user device identification data;
• wherein said sever includes a cache memory into which user device information is loaded from the domain master for the group including said server on accessing of said server by the registered user.

A network communications system comprising a plurality of devices interconnected for the exchange of data, the system including:

• a user device including a communications subsystem operable to establish communications with selected other devices of the system;
• a plurality of servers;
• at least one domain master station, the station being connected to monitor communications traffic loading at each of a respective group of said servers;
• a redirector station coupled with said at least one domain master station and accessible by said user device, said redirector station being arranged to select an optimum server to handle communications of a user device on the basis of both the physical location relative to the user device and current communications traffic loading, and to instruct said user device to re-establish network communications via said selected server;
• and
• wherein the redirector station determines, at least partially, current communications traffic loading for said server through measurement of delays in communications therewith.