System, architecture, and method for logical server and other network devices in a dynamically configurable multi-server network environment

In a system having a plurality of physical network devices, a method for grouping said plurality of physical network devices into a logical network device for operation and control, said method comprising:

• coupling said physical network devices that are to be grouped together as a logical device for communication;
• identifying a manager to supervise operation of said logical device;
• identifying a number of said plurality of physical network devices that are configured to perform a task;
• receiving at least one request for performance of the task;
• determining demand for the task;
• and
• based on the demand, executing a procedure within said manager to coordinate and control operation of said logical device to increase or decrease the number of physical network devices that are configured to perform the task;
• wherein performance of a logical group of physical network devices forming a single logical device are power managed by reducing the performance and power consumption of each constituent physical device in predetermined equal increments, predetermined unequal increments, in a substantially continuous manner, or dynamically in a continuous or incremental manner;
• and
• wherein said unequal increments include at least one of:
• (i) placing one or more of said plurality of physical devices in a sleep mode, and
• (ii) placing one or more of said plurality of physical devices in a powered-off mode.

In a system having a plurality of physical network devices, a method for grouping said plurality of physical network devices into a logical network device for operation and control, said method comprising:

• coupling said physical network devices that are to be grouped together as a logical device for communication;
• identifying a manager to supervise operation of said logical device;
• identifying a number of said plurality of physical network devices that are configured to perform a task;
• receiving at least one request for performance of the task;
• determining demand for the task;
• and
• based on the demand, executing a procedure within said manager to coordinate and control operation of said logical device to increase or decrease the number of physical network devices that are configured to perform the task;
• and
• wherein demand for each of a plurality of tasks performed by the logical device are monitored for the logical device, for each physical device within said logical device, or both;
• and said demand information is used to power manage said logical device and said physical devices;
• said power management includes reconfiguring said logical unit to minimize power consumption while maintaining a required task performance level;
• said reconfiguring said logical unit to minimize power consumption while maintaining a required task performance level is performed in accordance with power management policies;
• and
• wherein a composite performance of a logical network device is achieved by placing some physical network devices in a first power saving mode and by placing others in a different mode.