Method and system for determining allocation of clients to servers

摘要

This invention relates to assignment of mobile clients (such as mobile telephones or software agents) to mainly stationary servers (such as mobile network base stations or computer servers) with the objective of reducing or minimizing the number of active servers. Once the number of users of a server drops below a specified level, the server may be deactivated resulting in power and efficiency savings. Preferably the method of the invention operates dynamically and during run time. In certain embodiments, the method can accept trade-offs in the quality of service or the number of active servers. In an embodiment of the invention, servers are arranged to “compete” with adjacent servers for their clients. This competition may be in a self-amplifying manner such that with the effect that more “popular” servers are more likely to succeed thus resulting in servers which are below a utilization threshold and can therefore be switched off.

主权项

1. A method of allocating clients to a first server, the method including the steps of:
a) determining, as between said first 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 is determined by the formula:PA=(k+xA)α(k+xA)α+(k+xS)αwhere 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 first server is successful in said contest, changing the allocation of a client from said second server to said first server, and further including the step of: c) if the number of clients allocated to any server falls below a first threshold level, powering down said server.