Method and system for determining allocation of clients to servers

A server for supplying a service to a plurality of clients, the server having a control unit, wherein said control unit is arranged to:

• manage the allocation of clients to said server by:
• a) determining, as between the server and a second server, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server with the greater number of allocated clients, wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula:
• P
• A
• =
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• +
• (
• k
• +
• x
• S
• )
• α
• where PA is the probability of server A winning the contest, xS is the number of clients affiliated to server S, and k and α are tunable parameters;
• b) if said server is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of a client from said second server to said server;
• c) following a contest with another server, determining the number of clients allocated to said server;
• and
• d) if said determined number of clients fails below a first threshold level, powering down said server.

A system having a plurality of servers connected by a communications network, each of said servers supplying a service to one or more clients, and each of said servers having a control unit, wherein said control units are arranged to:

• manage the allocation of clients to the servers by:
• a) determining, as between a first and a second server, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server with the greater number of allocated clients, wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula:
• P
• A
• =
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• +
• (
• k
• +
• x
• S
• )
• α
• where PA is the probability of server A winning the contest, xS is the number of clients affiliated to server S, and k and α are tunable parameters;
• and
• b) if said second server is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of a client from said first server to said second server;
• c) following a contest with another server, determining the number of clients allocated to each server;
• and
• d) if said determined number of clients falls below a first threshold level, powering down said server.

A mobile telecommunications system having:

• a plurality of base-stations for supplying a mobile telecommunications network to one or more mobile telephone handsets, each of said handsets being either allocated to one of said base-stations or being unallocated;
• and
• a communications network connecting said base-stations,
• wherein each of said base-stations has a control unit, said control units being arranged to manage the allocation of said mobile handsets to the base-stations by:
• a) identifying the potential for switching the allocation of a handset from a first base-station to a second base-station;
• b) determining, as between the first and second base-stations, a contest which is weighted in favour of the base-station with the greater number of allocated handsets wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula:
• P
• A
• =
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• +
• (
• k
• +
• x
• S
• )
• α
• where PA is the probability of server A winning the contest xS is the number of clients affiliated to server S, and k and α are tunable parameters;
• and
• c) if said second base-station is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of said handset from said first base-station to said second base-station;
• d) following a contest with another base-station, determining the number of handsets allocated to each base-station;
• and
• e) if said determined number of handsets falls below a first threshold level, disabling said base-station.

A computer network having:

• a plurality of client computers;
• a plurality of server computers for supplying services to one or more of said client computers, each of said client computers being either allocated to one of said server computers;
• and
• a communications network connecting said server computers and said client computers,
• wherein each of said server computers has a control unit, said control units being arranged to manage the allocation of said client computers to the server computers by:
• a) identifying the potential for switching the allocation of a client computer from a first server computers to a second server computer;
• b) determining, as between the first and second server computers, a contest which is weighted in favour of the server computer with the greater number of allocated client computers wherein the contest between servers is determined by the formula:
• P
• A
• =
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• (
• k
• +
• x
• A
• )
• α
• +
• (
• k
• +
• x
• S
• )
• α
• where PA is the probability of server A winning the contest, xS is the number of clients affiliated to server S, and k and α are tunable parameters;
• and
• c) if said second server computer successful in said contest, changing the allocation of said client computer from said first server computer to said second server computer;
• d) following a contest with another server computer, determining the number of client computers allocated to each server computer;
• and
• e) if said determined number of client computers falls below a first threshold level, disabling said server computer.