A data communications network includes network servers, clusters of network
servers, as well as content providers and service providers, such as ISPs
and ASPs, and further includes at least one data processor that operates
under control of a stored program resident on a memory media. The stored
program directs operation of the data processor to provide users with
differentiated services by defining, for individual ones of the plurality
of content providers, a plurality of levels of services for users, and for
responding to service level tables received from individual ones of the
plurality of content providers, where individual ones of users are
assigned to one of the plurality of levels of service. There is also at
least one resource requirement table for defining at least a minimum set
of resources required for realizing individual ones of said plurality of
service levels. The program further directs operation of the at least one
data processor to merge the plurality of resource requirement tables into
a merged resource requirement table for use by a particular one of the
network servers. The particular one of the network servers assigns
differentiated service levels to incoming user requests in accordance with
the service level tables, and in accordance with the merged resource
requirement tables and currently available resources. The resources can
include one of numbers of available servers, available memory capacity,
and available bandwidth. The program further controls operation of the at
least one data processor to redirect an incoming user request to a network
server having sufficient available resources to provide a specified level
of service for the user request.
