Scalable virtual partitioning of resources

A computer-based system for fulfilling client requests for resources scattered about a plurality of server computers, wherein a request for a resource comprises a resource key associated with the requested resource, the system comprising:

• a plurality of computers;
• a set of resource managers distributed about the plurality of computers, the resource managers configured to accept the resource key associated with the resource and using a hash function calculation to identify, out of a fixed number of virtual partitions, a virtual partition at which the requested resource resides, and further configured to map the virtual partition to a reference in a virtual partition table referencing a resource component and direct the request to the resource component referenced by the reference, wherein the number of virtual partitions segregates resources in a collection of online communities based on community name, wherein the resource key comprises a community name, and wherein the virtual partition table is indexed by one or more resource types;
• at least one resource component on at least one of the plurality of computers, wherein the resource component is configured to accept the request and direct the request to an appropriate one of the server computers;
• and
• a resource administrator on at least one of the plurality of computers maintaining a mapping mechanism for the mapping performed by the resource managers and configured to communicate the mapping mechanism to the resource managers.

A computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for performing the following to provide a resource requested by a remotely-located client over a computer network, wherein a key is associated with the resource, wherein the resource resides at a resource server out of a set of a plurality of resource servers, wherein the resource server on which the resource resides is determined at least in part by the key associated with the resource:

• identifying a virtual partition for the resource out of a set of possible virtual partitions by performing a hash function calculation on the key and in accordance with a resource type associated with the resource, the resource type indicating a data type of the resource, the key comprising a community name, and wherein the set of possible virtual partitions segregates resources in a collection of online communities based on community name;
• mapping the identified virtual partition for the resource to information for accessing the resource server on which the resource resides, wherein the information for accessing the particular resource comprises a virtual partition table indexed by one or more resource types;
• and
• calling a method of a resource component, wherein the method of the resource component is associated with the community name and the resource type.

A computer-implemented method for providing access to a resource associated with a key and located at one resource server out of a plurality of resource servers, the method comprising:

• receiving the request at one of a plurality of computer servers configured to receive the request, wherein the server computer maintains a mapping of virtual partition values to resource components encapsulating information for accessing the one resource server out of the plurality of resource servers, wherein the mapping comprises a virtual partition table indexed by one or more resource types and comprising references to the resource components, wherein at least one of the resource components comprises logic for interacting with the one resource server;
• performing a hash function calculation on the key to generate a virtual partition value, wherein the key comprises a community name;
• via the mapping, determining a resource component encapsulating information for accessing one resource server out of the plurality of resource servers whereon the resource is located;
• directing the received request to the determined resource component encapsulating information for accessing the one out of the plurality of resource servers whereon the resource is located, wherein the one out of the plurality of resource servers is optimized for a resource having a particular resource type, the resource type indicating a data type of the resource, wherein the determined resource component provides a reference to itself in response to the received request;
• and
• directing an operation for accessing the resource to the reference.

A computer-based system for providing access to content requested by a remotely-located client over a computer network, wherein the content is associated with a key, wherein the content resides at a server out of a set of content servers, wherein the set of servers is partitioned to separate the content into at least two groups, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory;
• a plurality of resource components stored in the memory and configured to direct requests for access to content to a particular content server out of the set of content servers, wherein the content comprises a collection of online communities, and wherein the content is divided among the content servers based on community name;
• and
• a plurality of content request receivers stored in the memory and configured to receive the key associated with the content and configured to selectively indicate one resource component out of the plurality of resource components based on a hash function computation performed on the key, based on a resource type associated with the content that indicates a data type of the content, and using a virtual partition table comprising references to the plurality of resource components, wherein the key comprises a community name, and wherein the virtual partition table is indexed by one or more resource types.

A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for providing access to a resource associated with a key and located at one resource server out of a plurality of resource servers, the method comprising:

• receiving the request at one of a plurality of computer servers configured to receive the request, wherein the server computer maintains a mapping of virtual partition values to resource components encapsulating information for accessing the one resource server out of the plurality of resource servers, wherein the mapping comprises a virtual partition table indexed by one or more resource types and comprising references to the resource components, wherein at least one of the resource components comprises logic for interacting with the one resource server;
• performing a hash function calculation on the key to generate a virtual partition value, wherein the key comprises a community name;
• via the mapping, determining a resource component encapsulating information for accessing one resource server out of the plurality of resource servers whereon the resource is located;
• directing the received request to the determined resource component encapsulating information for accessing the one out of the plurality of resource servers whereon the resource is located;
• and
• directing an operation for accessing the resource to the reference.