Facilitating real-time, multi-point communications over the internet

摘要

Methods and apparatus are described for facilitating a first conference between a plurality of clients on a network. A request to join a first conference is received from a first one of the plurality of clients via the network. In response to the request, it is determined whether the first conference is currently being facilitated on any of a plurality of media servers. Where the first conference is currently being facilitated on a first one of the plurality of media servers, the first client is dispatched to the first conference on the first media server. Where the first conference is not currently being facilitated on any of the plurality of media servers, creation of the first conference on a second one of the plurality of media servers is triggered, and the first client is dispatched to the first conference on the second media server.