Load balancing using replication delay

A computer implemented method for load balancing using replication delay, the computer implemented method comprising:

• receiving a replication delay information for a replica server for each request to update over one of (i) a preset number of requests to update and (ii) all requests to update received during a present amount of time, wherein the replica server is a server serving a directory partition of a directory according to a directory protocol;
• determining a replication delay for each request to update;
• computing an average replication delay from the replication delays for each request to update;
• and
• sending the average replication delay for the replica server to a load balancing system.

A data processing system for load balancing using replication delay, the data processing system comprising:

• a storage device, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code;
• and
• a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises:
• computer usable code for updating, responsive to a request to update, a data associated with a write server, forming updated data of a data partition, wherein the data partition is a directory partition of a directory according to a directory protocol, wherein the write server and a set of replica servers are servers serving the directory partition;
• computer usable code for receiving a read request for the data partition;
• computer usable code for calculating a time difference between an arrival time of the request to update and an arrival time of the read request;
• computer usable code for receiving a set of average replication delays for replica servers in the set of replica servers;
• and
• computer usable code for directing the read request to a replica server in the set of replica servers whose average replication delay is one of (i) less than and (ii) equal to the time difference.

A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable non-transitory storage medium including computer usable code for load balancing using replication delay, the computer usable code comprising:

• computer usable code for receiving a replication delay information for a replica server for each request to update over one of (i) a preset number of requests to update and (ii) all requests to update received during a present amount of time, wherein the replica server is a server serving a directory partition of a directory according to a directory protocol;
• computer usable code for determining a replication delay for each request to update;
• computer usable code for computing an average replication delay from the replication delays for each request to update;
• and
• computer usable code for sending the average replication delay for the replica server to a load balancing system.