International Business Machines Corporation

Timothy John Guenthner

Francis Daniel Lawlor

Charles Rudolph Schmitt

Dah-Haur H Lin

A method of routing in a computer network having a pool of servers capable of servicing requests for access to a set of server resource objects. The set of server resource objects are distributed in a non-homogeneous manner across the server pool. According to the method, each incoming client request for access to a specified server resource object is targeted to a router having an associated port space identifying a plurality of ports. Based on the port on which an incoming client request is received, the request is mapped to one of the server resource objects. The router then selects the &ldquo;best provider&rdquo; and redirects or forwards the request to that server. The routing and redirection is based upon the port for the incoming request.

Mapping web server objects to TCP/IP ports

A method of dynamically generating a Web page at a Web server in response to an HTTP request from a Web client in a computer network. The Web page has a hypertext reference identifying a linked page supported on each of a set of other servers in the computer network. In response to the request, a given one of the set of other servers is identified based on some given criteria, e.g., shortest access time, lightest current load, or the like. Information identifying a path to the identified other server is then inserted into the hypertext reference as the Web page (including the hypertext reference) is returned to the Web client in response to the request. Thus, if the hypertext reference is later activated by the user browsing the returned Web page, the linked page is preferentially served from the identified other server.

Generation of smart HTML anchors in dynamic web page creation

One or more policies are implemented at a Web browser to enhance access to Web servers that host content requested by the browser. When the browser issues a request, a name service returns a list of IP addresses that may service that request. The list is configured as 'random' or 'ordered' according to a given naming convention or other local policy, and IP addresses are selected from the list at random or in order (as the case may be) until a connection to an appropriate server is obtained. The browser remembers (for a given time period) which IP addresses have failed so that those addresses are not repeatedly tried. The browser's 'timeout' period is also selectively varied depending on the type of list returned from the name service.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Timothy John Guenthner