Abstract: A host load server balances a web host's load capacity among multiple competing web crawlers of a search engine. The host load server establishes a lease for each pair of requesting web crawler and requested web host. The lease expires at a scheduled time. If the web crawler completes its mission of retrieving documents from the web host prior to the expiration of the lease, the host load server releases the load capacity allocated to the web crawler and makes it available for other competing web crawlers. If the web crawler submits a request for renewing its lease with the web host at the scheduled time, the host load server allocates another share of load capacity to the web crawler. If the web crawler does not submit any request at the scheduled time, the host load server terminates the lease and releases the load capacity for other web crawlers.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatic repair and replacement of computing machines are disclosed. The system may generally include a database including configuration information for the available replacement machines and a failed machine, a machine assignment module to assign a replacement machine based on a comparison of the configuration information for the failed machine and the available replacement machines, and a configuration module for generating configuration data for replacement of the failed machine with the replacement machine in the computer network. The machine assignment module may compare certain configuration parameters such as processor speed, disk drive size, and/or amount of RAM, between the failed machine and the available replacement machines. A replacement module may copy data from another copy of the failed machine in the computer network into the replacement machine. An installation module may install the configuration data in, e.g., dependent machines, and restart the dependent machines.