Wireless network cloud computing resource management

Abstract

A method, performed by a server device, may include receiving a request to activate an application session, the request being received from a user equipment on behalf of a particular application installed on the user equipment. The method may further include determining one or more application requirements associated with the particular application; determining conditions associated with one or more application servers; selecting a particular one of the one or more application servers based on the determined one or more application requirements and based on the determined conditions; and setting up the application session between the user equipment and between the selected particular one of the one or more application servers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a server device, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the server device, a request to activate an application session, the request being received from a user equipment on behalf of a particular application installed on the user equipment;   determining, by a processor associated with the server device, one or more application requirements associated with the particular application;   determining, by the processor, conditions associated with one or more application servers;   selecting, by the processor, a particular one of the one or more application servers based on the determined one or more application requirements and based on the determined conditions; and   setting up, by the processor, the application session between the user equipment and between the selected particular one of the one or more application servers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where determining the one or more application requirements comprises:
 accessing an application database associated with the server device, where the application database stores information about application requirements associated with particular applications.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where determining the one or more application requirements comprises:
 receiving information about the one or more application requirements from the user equipment.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , where determining conditions associated with one or more application servers comprises:
 accessing a server database associated with the server device, where the server database stores information about the conditions associated with the one or more application servers.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where determining conditions associated with one or more application servers comprises:
 querying the one or more application servers to provide information about the conditions associated with the one or more application servers.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , where the one or more applications requirements include one or more of:
 an application type associated with the particular application, a bandwidth requirement associated with the particular application, a maximum delay requirement associated with the particular application, an average delay associated with the particular application, an average packet size associated with the particular application, a peak data rate associated with the particular application, an average data rate associated with the particular application, a maximum error rate associated with the particular application, a memory requirement associated with the particular application, or a location associated with the user equipment.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , where the conditions associated with the one or more application servers include one or more of: supported applications associated with a particular one of the one or more application servers, an available bandwidth associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers, an average delay associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers, an average packet size associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers, an average data rate associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers, an average error rate associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers, a memory capacity associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers, or a server location associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , where selecting a particular one of the one or more application servers comprises:
 comparing a particular one of the one or more applications requirements to a corresponding particular one of the conditions associated with the particular one or more application servers to determine a difference value;   generating a weighted sum of difference values for the particular one of the one or more application servers to generate a score for the particular one of the one or more application servers; and   selecting the particular one of the one or more application servers when the score associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers is smaller than scores associated with other ones of the one or more application servers.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , where selecting a particular one of the one or more application servers comprises:
 disqualifying another one of the one or more application servers when a particular condition associated with the other one of the one or more application servers does not satisfy a corresponding particular one of the one or more application requirements.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the user equipment, a request for the conditions associated with the one or more application servers;   providing, to the user equipment, the requested conditions associated with the one or more application servers; and   receiving, from the user equipment, an indication that the particular application will operate in a reduced mode, where the reduced mode is associated with a different set of application requirements.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , where setting up the application session between the user equipment and between the selected particular one of the one or more application servers comprises:
 providing a network address associated with the selected particular one of the one or more application servers to the user equipment; and   informing the selected particular one of the one or more application servers that the selected particular one of the application servers was selected for the application session with the particular application.   
     
     
         12 . A resource information server, comprising:
 a server selection mechanism to:
 receive a request to activate an application session, the request being received from a user equipment on behalf of a particular application installed on the user equipment; 
 determine one or more application requirements associated with the particular application; 
 determine conditions associated with one or more application servers; 
 select a particular one of the one or more application servers based on the determined one or more application requirements and based on the determined conditions; and 
 set up the application session between the user equipment and between the selected particular one of the one or more application servers. 
   
     
     
         13 . The resource information server of  claim 12 , where, when the server selection mechanism is to determine the one or more application requirements, the server selection mechanism is to:
 access an application database associated with the resource information server, where the application database stores information about application requirements associated with particular applications.   
     
     
         14 . The resource information server of  claim 12 , where, when the server selection mechanism is to select a particular one of the one or more application servers, the server selection mechanism is to:
 compare a particular one of the one or more applications requirements to a corresponding particular one of the conditions associated with the particular one or more application servers to determine a difference value;   generate a weighted sum of difference values for the particular one of the one or more application servers to generate a score for the particular one of the one or more application servers; and   select the particular one of the one or more application servers when the score associated with the particular one of the one or more application servers is smaller than scores associated with other ones of the one or more application servers.   
     
     
         15 . The resource information server of  claim 12 , where, when the server selection mechanism is to select a particular one of the one or more application servers, the server selection mechanism is to:
 disqualify another one of the one or more application servers when a particular condition associated with the other one of the one or more application servers does not satisfy a corresponding particular one of the one or more application requirements.   
     
     
         16 . The resource information server of  claim 12 , where, when the server selection mechanism is to select a particular one of the one or more application servers, the server selection mechanism is to:
 receive, from the user equipment, a request for the conditions associated with the one or more application servers;   provide, to the user equipment, the requested conditions associated with the one or more application servers; and   receive, from the user equipment, an indication that the particular application will operate in a reduced mode, where the reduced mode is associated with a different set of application requirements.   
     
     
         17 . A user equipment comprising: an application manager to:
 detect a session activation request from a particular application installed on the user equipment;   request information about conditions associated with particular ones of a plurality of application servers from a resource information server;   receive, from the resource information server, the requested information;   tailor the session activation request based on the received information; and   send a session activation request to a resource information server.   
     
     
         18 . The user equipment of  claim 17 , where the application manager is further to:
 determine application requirements associated with the particular application; and   provide the determined application requirements to the resource information server.   
     
     
         19 . The user equipment of  claim 18 , where the application requirements include one or more of:
 an application type associated with the particular application, a bandwidth requirement associated with the particular application, a maximum delay requirement associated with the particular application, an average delay associated with the particular application, an average packet size associated with the particular application, a peak data rate associated with the particular application, an average data rate associated with the particular application, a maximum error rate associated with the particular application, a memory requirement associated with the particular application, or a location associated with the user equipment.   
     
     
         20 . The user equipment of  claim 17 , where, when the application manager is to tailor the session activation request based on the received information, the application manager is to:
 select a particular mode for the particular application based on the received information.