Systems and methods of maintaining availability of requested network resources

A method of maintaining availability of requested network resources of a network of servers each having associated network-servable resources of a specific kind, the network-servable resources including resource data and resource-serving application software adapted to serve out said resource data, the method comprising:

• dynamically distributing capacity to serve out servable resources between said resource servers dependent upon demand for said resources, thereby varying capability of said network as a whole to serve out a particular resource dependent upon the level of demand for said particular resource,
• wherein
• said distributing of capacity to serve out servable resources comprises distributing at least one of:
• (i) resource-serving application software;
• (ii) installation software adapted to install resource-serving application software;
• to at least one server selected to serve out said particular resource without necessarily moving the resource data itself between servers;
• said at least one server is selected based on
• (a) the bandwidth available to said at least one server,
• (b) whether said at least one server is currently being accessed either for serving out the same particular resource or for serving out another resource, and
• (c) projected access requirements based upon previous access demands placed upon said at least one server;
• and
• said resource servers have port addresses and a particular resource servable from a first port address is made available for serving from a second port address by allocating appropriate resource-serving application software to said second port address.

A network comprising:

• resource servers each having a deliverable resource of a specific kind available for serving out, and
• a resource manager adapted to receive a demand indicator input indicative of demand for a particular one of said deliverable resources of said specific kind and to output a resource-varying output adapted to vary capability of said network as a whole to serve out said particular one resource, said resource-varying output being adapted to vary the level available for use of resource-serving application software running, installed, or installable from application-installation software on said resource servers of said network:
• wherein said resource-varying output is generated based on
• (a) the bandwidth available to each said server
• (b) whether each said server is currently being accessed either for serving out the same particular resource or for serving out another resource, and
• c) projected access requirements based upon previous access demands placed upon each said server.

A network comprising;

• plurality of resource servers adapted to serve out servable recourses of a specific kind;
• a usage monitor;
• and
• a resource manager;
• said usage monitor being adapted to monitor usage of said servable resources and to determine if a usage level of a particular said resource has changed significantly and to communicate such changes in usage level to said resource manager,
• said resource manager being adapted to take into account
• (i) the bandwidth available to each said server,
• (ii) whether each said server is currently being accessed either for serving out the same particular resource or for serving out another resource, and
• (iii) projected access requirements based upon previous access demands placed upon each said server,
• and to do at least one of
• (a) introduce an additional server to said network, or start tip a resource serving application on a networked resource server if usage of said servable resources has increased significantly, and
• (b) remove said specific resource from a networked resource server, or shut down a resource-serving application on a networked resource server if said usage of said servable resources has decreased.

A resource management server for use with a plurality of resource servers having resources of the same particular kind available for serving out, said resource management server being operable to evaluate demand for a particular one of said resources of said specific kind, in use, in order to vary capacity of said network to serve out said particular one resource in response to changes in demand for said particular one resource, and

• wherein said resource management server is operable to take into account
• (i) the bandwidth available to each said server,
• (ii) whether each said server is currently being accessed either or serving out the same particular resource or for serving out another resource, and
• (iii) projected access requirements based upon previous access demands placed upon each said server,
• and to alter the number of resource-serving applications of a specific kind adapted to serve out resource in a specific particular format or protocol that is running, installed, or in installation software format, available on said resource servers as a whole and available for future use.

A content management server for use with a content server network, said content management server comprising

• a servable content monitor adapted to monitor levels of usage of servable content of a specific kind, and
• a content availability manager adapted to change the availability of specific servable content depending upon demand for said specific servable content;
• said content management server being operable to take into account
• (i) the bandwidth available to said server network,
• (ii) whether said server network is currently being accessed either for serving out the same specific content or for serving out another content;
• and
• (iii) projected access requirements based upon previous access demands placed upon said server network,
• and to perform at least one of
• (a) the function of an additional resource server to a network, or starting up a content serving application on a content server if levels of usage of a particular content have increased significantly, and
• (b) removing content from a networked content server, or shutting down a content serving application on a content server if levels of usage of a particular content have decreased significantly.

A resource management server for use with a plurality of networked resource servers having resources of a common particular kind available for serving out, said resource management server comprising

• a demand evaluator adapted to evaluate demand for a particular one of said servable out resources of said specific kind based on,
• (i) the bandwidth available to each said server,
• (ii) whether each said server is currently being accessed either for serving out the same particular resource or for serving out another resource, and
• (iii) projected access requirements based upon previous access demands placed upon each said server, and
• a capacity modifier adapted to modify capacity of said network to serve out said particular one resource, said capacity modifier being arranged to be responsive to evaluated demand signals from said demand evaluator and being adapted to distribute resource-serving application software over servers of said network so as to maintain unused available capacity to serve out resource.

A method of maintaining availability of requested network resources in a network of servers each having associated network-servable resources of a specific kind and port addresses, the method comprising;

• dynamically distributing servable resources between said resource servers dependent upon demand for said resources, thereby varying capability of said network as a whole to serve out a particular resource dependent upon the level of demand for said particular resource, and
• making a particular resource servable from a first port address available for serving from a second port address associated with the same server as said first port address, said server being selected for serving out the particular resource based on
• (a) the bandwidth available to said server,
• (b) whether said server is currently being accessed either for serving out the same particular resource or for serving out another resource, and
• (c) projected access requirements based upon previous access demands placed upon said server.