Abstract: A method and system for workload-aware request in cluster-based network servers. The present invention provides a web server cluster having a plurality of nodes wherein each node comprises a distributor component, a dispatcher component and a server component. In another embodiment, the present provides a method for managing request distribution to a set of files stored on a web server cluster. A request for a file is received at a first node of a plurality of nodes, each node comprising a distributor component, a dispatcher component and a server component. If the request is for a core file, the request is processed at the first node (e.g., processed locally). If the request is for a partitioned file, it is determined whether the request is assigned to be processed locally at the first node or at another node (e.g., processed remotely). If the request is for neither a core file nor a partitioned file, the request is processed at the first node.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises observing communication from a virtual machine (VM) to a domain in which a device driver for a shared resource resides. The method further comprises determining, based on the observed communication, CPU utilization of the domain that is attributable to the VM. According to at least one embodiment, a system comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Virtual Machines (VMs), and a domain in which a device driver for a shared resource resides, wherein the domain is operable to receive requests from the VMs for access to the shared resource. The system further comprises a CPU utilization monitor operable to determine an amount of CPU utilization of the domain in processing the received requests that is attributable to each of the VMs.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises observing communication from a virtual machine (VM) to a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The method further comprises determining, based on the observed communication, CPU utilization of the VMM that is attributable to the VM. According to at least one embodiment, a system comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Virtual Machines (VMs), and a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) operable to receive requests for resource access from the VMs. The system further comprises a CPU utilization monitor operable to determine an amount of CPU utilization of the VMM in processing the received requests that is attributable to each of the VMs.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises observing communication from a virtual machine (VM) to an isolated driver domain. The method further comprises determining, based on the observed communication, CPU utilization of the isolated driver domain that is attributable to the VM. According to at least one embodiment, a system comprises a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Virtual Machines (VMs), and a first isolated driver domain in which a first device driver for a first shared resource resides, wherein the first isolated driver domain is operable to receive requests from the VMs for access to the first shared resource. The system further comprises a CPU utilization monitor operable to determine an amount of CPU utilization of the first isolated driver domain in processing the received requests that is attributable to a VM requesting access to the first shared resource.

Abstract: A method and system for workload-aware request in cluster-based network servers. The present invention provides a web server cluster having a plurality of nodes wherein each node comprises a distributor component, a dispatcher component and a server component. In another embodiment, the present provides a method for managing request distribution to a set of files stored on a web server cluster. A request for a file is received at a first node of a plurality of nodes, each node comprising a distributor component, a dispatcher component and a server component. If the request is for a core file, the request is processed at the first node (e.g., processed locally). If the request is for a partitioned file, it is determined whether the request is assigned to be processed locally at the first node or at another node (e.g., processed remotely). If the request is for neither a core file nor a partitioned file, the request is processed at the first node.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, into a capacity planning system, workload information representing an expected workload of client accesses of streaming media files from a site. The method further comprises receiving, into the capacity planning system, at least one service parameter that defines a desired service characteristic to be provided by a heterogeneous cluster of servers under the expected workload. The capacity planning system evaluates whether the heterogeneous cluster, having a plurality of different server configurations included therein, is capable of supporting the expected workload in compliance with the at least one service parameter.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, into a capacity planning system, workload information representing an expected workload of client accesses of streaming media files from a site. The capacity planning system evaluates whether a heterogeneous cluster having a plurality of different server configurations included therein is capable of supporting the expected workload in a desired manner.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, into a capacity planning system, workload information representing an expected workload of client accesses of streaming media files from a site. The method further comprises receiving, into the capacity planning system, at least one service parameter that defines a desired service characteristic to be provided by a media server configuration under the expected workload. The method further comprises determining, by the capacity planning system, for at least one server configuration, how many servers of the at least one server configuration to be included at the site for supporting the expected workload in compliance with the at least one service parameter.

Abstract: According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving a session trace log identifying a plurality of sessions accessing streaming media files from a media server. The method further comprises deriving from the session trace log a segment trace log that identifies for each of a plurality of time intervals the segments of the streaming media files accessed, and using the segment trace log to develop an analytical cache performance model. According to at least one embodiment, a method comprises receiving workload information representing client accesses of streaming media files from a media server, and using an analytical cache performance model to compute a cache hit ratio for the media server under the received workload.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving, into a capacity planning system, workload information representing an expected workload of client accesses of streaming media files from a site. The method further comprises the capacity planning system determining, for at least one server configuration, how many servers of the at least one server configuration to be included at the site for supporting the expected workload in a desired manner.

Abstract: A method for operating a cluster of N server nodes to service client requests received on a network. Each client request is directed to one of C customers hosted on the server cluster. Each customer is identified by a domain name, and each server node is identified by an address on a network. In the method of the present invention, the customers are grouped into N groups, each group being assigned to a corresponding one of the server nodes. Configuration information is provided to a Domain Name Server (DNS), the information defining the correspondence between each of the customers and one of the server nodes assigned to one of the groups containing that customer. The DNS provides the address of the server node in response to a message specifying the domain name of the customer. The client then directs its request to the identified server node utilizing the address provided by the DNS.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for relating aborted client accesses of server information to the quality of service provided to clients by a server in a client-server network. According to one embodiment, a method comprises determining performance data for at least one aborted client access of information from a server in a client-server network, and using the performance data to determine whether the aborted client access(es) relate to the quality of service provided to a client by the server.

Abstract: A method comprises receiving, into a capacity planning tool, configuration information for at least one streaming media server. The method further comprises receiving, into the capacity planning tool, workload information for a workload of client accesses of streaming media files from a server, and the capacity planning tool evaluating a capacity of the at least one streaming media server for supporting the workload.

Abstract: A method for operating a server cluster that includes N server nodes that service client requests. Each client request is directed to one of a plurality of sites hosted on the server cluster. Each site is identified by a domain name, and each server node is identified by an address on a network connecting the clients to the server nodes. The computational resources required to service the requests to each of the sites over a first time period are measured and used to group the sites into N groups. Each group is assigned to a corresponding one of the server nodes. The groups are chosen such that, for each pair of groups, the difference in the sum of the measured computational resources is within a first predetermined error value. Configuration information defining a correspondence between each of the sites and one or more of the server nodes assigned to the groups containing that site is then provided to a router accessible from the network.

Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method for modeling the memory of a streaming media server is provided. The method comprises creating a segment-based access model for at least one streaming media file available on a streaming media server, and using the segment-based access model to construct a segment-based model of the media server's memory. In certain embodiments, a system comprises a server comprising a memory having a capacity, the server operable to serve at least one streaming file to clients communicatively coupled thereto. The system further comprises a controller operable to determine an amount of unique bytes of the at least one streaming file served by the server during an elapsed time interval, wherein the amount of unique bytes are equal to the capacity of the server's memory.

Abstract: Systems and methods for efficiently distributing a file from a first node to a plurality of recipient nodes are provided. A method comprises distributing a plurality of subfiles that comprise a file from a first node to a first group comprising a plurality of recipient nodes, wherein at least one subfile distributed from the first node to each recipient node of the first group but no individual recipient node receives all of the plurality of subfiles from the first node. The method further comprises exchanging subfiles among the plurality of recipient nodes of the first group, wherein at least one recipient node of the first group begins communicating a portion of the subfile that it is receiving from the first node to at least one other recipient node before the at least one recipient node fully receives the subfile.

Abstract: A reliable system and method for distributing a file from a first node to a plurality of recipient nodes is provided. The method comprises attempting to distribute a plurality of subfiles that comprise a file from a first node to a first group comprising a plurality of recipient nodes, wherein the first node attempts to distribute at least one subfile to each recipient node of the first group but not all of the plurality of subfiles are distributed from the first node to any of the recipient nodes of the first group. The method further comprises detecting whether one of the plurality of recipient nodes of the first group has failed, and if a recipient node of the first group has failed, managing the distribution of the plurality of subfiles to detour their distribution around the failed node such that the file is distributed to each non-failed node of the plurality of recipient nodes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing admission of requests to a streaming media server are provided. In certain embodiments, a method comprises receiving a new request for a streaming file to be served by a media server, and determining a cost to the media server for serving the requested streaming file, wherein the cost corresponds to the media server's resources to be consumed in serving the requested streaming file. The method further comprises determining, based at least in part on the cost, whether to admit the new request for service by the media server. In certain embodiments, a method comprises receiving, at a time Tcur, a new request for a streaming file to be served by a media server, and creating a segment-based model of the media server's memory as of time Tcur. And, based at least in part on the segment-based model of the media server's memory, determining whether to accept the received request for service by the media server.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing admission of requests to hosting services that share resources are provided. In certain embodiments, a method comprises allowing each of a plurality of hosting services access to any of a set of shared resources for serving their respective streaming files to clients. The method further comprises managing admission of client requests for streaming files to each of the plurality of hosting services to ensure that a desired amount of usage of the shared resources is available to each hosting service.

Abstract: A system and method for modeling accesses of a streaming file are provided. In certain embodiments, the method comprises identifying, for a time interval of interest, at least one request received at a server for accessing a streaming file, and for each of the at least one request, determining a segment of the streaming file accessed during the time interval of interest. If multiple requests are identified for the streaming file during the time interval of interest, then determining, from the determined segments of the streaming file accessed by each of the multiple requests, at least one unique segment of the streaming file that was most recently accessed within the time interval of interest.