crohrer@uswat.uswest.com ( Chris Rohrer #330 x1513 ) (01/09/91)
I know this is a problem that has been solved many times, many ways, but I was hoping for some guidance. The setup is that I have a client machine that needs services from any of a number of physically redundant servers on a CSMA/CD type of LAN; the exact service or services are irrelevant to the discussion (I think...) except that once a server responds, a session on that 'connection' will transpire. The goal is to share usage across the servers even allowing a server to be taken out of service (or at least quiesced) transparently to a client base. I'm looking for a possibly already existing reference to a protocol or mechanism that will govern the resolution of multiple responses to a given request for service that has been broadcast to the multiple servers. My questions can be distilled down to something like these: 1) Is a broadcast mechanism a useful way of soliciting a server response? 2) Would a more deterministic method of server selection be better? 3) Are these things available off the shelf? 4) Would I have to give tons more specs to elicit a meaningful netnews response? Any help would be greatly appreciated, even advice as to which news groups would be more appropriate for this type of question. Thanks, Chris Rohrer crohrer@uswest.com