# How Load Balancers Route Web Traffic Based on Specific Content > A method for web servers to route user requests to specific machines based on which files they store, rather than just blindly balancing traffic across all servers. - **Patent:** US 5774660 - **Original title:** World-wide-web server with delayed resource-binding for resource-based load balancing on a distributed resource multi-node network - **Owner:** Resonate Inc - **Granted:** 1998 - **Status:** Public domain (expired) - **Times cited:** 1,148 - **Field:** telecommunications, software, consumer_electronics ## What it does This patent describes a system where a central load balancer acts as a gatekeeper for a website. Instead of mirroring every file on every server, the system distributes specific resources across different nodes. When a user requests a file, the load balancer intercepts the request, reads the URL to see exactly what is being asked for, and then routes the connection to a server that actually holds that specific file. Once the connection is handed off, the chosen server sends the data directly back to the user, bypassing the load balancer to prevent network bottlenecks. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover systems where every server contains an identical copy of all website resources (full mirroring). - Does not cover load balancing methods that assign servers based solely on CPU load or round-robin traffic distribution without inspecting the requested URL. - Does not cover systems where the load balancer remains in the data path for the entire duration of the file transfer. ## The clever bit The system delays the load balancing decision until after the URL is parsed, allowing the network to make an intelligent routing choice based on content location rather than just network capacity. ## Real-world examples 1. Modern content delivery networks (CDNs) 2. Distributed web server clusters 3. Enterprise load balancing appliances ## Why it matters This technology was essential for the early scaling of the World Wide Web. By allowing web hosts to partition content across cheaper, specialized servers rather than requiring massive, fully-mirrored server clusters, it made hosting large, complex websites economically viable during the late 1990s dot-com boom. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Load Balancers Route Web Traffic Based on Specific Content cover? A method for web servers to route user requests to specific machines based on which files they store, rather than just blindly balancing traffic across all servers. ### Who owns patent US 5774660? Resonate Inc owns this patent, granted in 1998. ### When does this patent expire? This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely. ### What is patent US 5774660 cited by? This patent has been cited by 1148 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? This technology was essential for the early scaling of the World Wide Web. By allowing web hosts to partition content across cheaper, specialized servers rather than requiring massive, fully-mirrored server clusters, it made hosting large, complex websites economically viable during the late 1990s dot-com boom. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover systems where every server contains an identical copy of all website resources (full mirroring). **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5774660/world-wide-web-server-with-delayed-resource-binding-for-resource-based-load-balancing-on-a-distributed-resource-multi-node-network **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US5774660 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How DNS Servers Route Web Traffic to the Least Busy Server](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/6178160/load-balancing-of-client-connections-across-a-network-using-server-based-algorithms) — A method for balancing web traffic by having servers report their current workload to a DNS server, which then directs new users to the fastest available machine. - [How CDNs Use Client-Side Code to Speed Up Web Downloads](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9544394/aws-cloudtrail) — Amazon's patent on using client-side code like JavaScript to dynamically rewrite website links so they point directly to the fastest content delivery server, bypassing traditional DNS routing bottlenecks. - [How Servers Combine Global and Local Content for Personalized Web Displays](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/6122658/custom-localized-information-in-a-networked-server-for-display-to-an-end-user) — A 1997 Microsoft patent describing how a server can mix general content with specific local details to create a personalized experience for users based on their location or demographics. - [How Amazon Optimizes Website Loading Speeds by Managing Domain Requests](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7930393/amazon-cloudfront-cdn) — A system that tests different ways to distribute website resources across multiple domains to find the fastest way to load a webpage for users. - [How Distributed Servers Find Data Using Location Pointers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7233978/method-and-apparatus-for-managing-location-information-in-a-network-separate-from-the-data-to-which-the-location-information-pertains) — A system that uses a network of specialized servers to track where specific data is located, allowing computers to find information by asking a server for its address rather than searching every machine.