Stand-in computer server
First Claim
1. In a network of computers, the computers comprising one or more server nodes and client nodes requesting services from the server nodes, messages sent between nodes each having a destination address and a message content, a method for providing the services of a protected one of said server nodes to the client nodes, comprising the steps:
- when said protected server node becomes unavailable to said client nodes, a connection server connected to another node on the network publishing as its name the name of the unavailable server node, in addition to publishing a name by which the connection server is regularly known;
a client node requesting services from a service server by continuing to request services by the name of the unavailable server node in the same manner as requests were made prior to the protected server node becoming unavailable.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An Integrity Server computer for economically providing a stand-in computer, replacing a failed server of a network. The invention provides methods for re-establishing connections between clients and servers, and communicating packets between network nodes, to allow the Integrity Server to stand-in for a failed server without requiring reconfiguration of the network clients when a server fails. In one method, the Integrity Server publishes the name of the failed server, in addition to its normal name, when the failed server becomes inaccessible. In a second method, a first channel accepts network packets addressed to the failed server, and forwards them to a second channel for service.
526 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. In a network of computers, the computers comprising one or more server nodes and client nodes requesting services from the server nodes, messages sent between nodes each having a destination address and a message content, a method for providing the services of a protected one of said server nodes to the client nodes, comprising the steps:
-
when said protected server node becomes unavailable to said client nodes, a connection server connected to another node on the network publishing as its name the name of the unavailable server node, in addition to publishing a name by which the connection server is regularly known; a client node requesting services from a service server by continuing to request services by the name of the unavailable server node in the same manner as requests were made prior to the protected server node becoming unavailable. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
2. In a computer network of nodes, the nodes each having a network address and comprising a server node providing specific services and client nodes requesting services from the server node, messages sent between nodes each having a destination address and a message content, a method for servicing service request messages comprising:
-
establishing a communication path between a client node and a connection server node, by the client node requesting a connection to an unavailable server node, and the connection server responding to the client'"'"'s connection request by representing itself as able to provide the services of the unavailable server; transmitting a first request message from the client node to the connection server requesting a service of the unavailable server; receiving the first request message at a forwarding channel of the connection server, and forwarding a second request message from the forwarding channel to a service channel of a service server; servicing the second request message at the service channel, which is configured to provide all services of the unavailable server, and generating a first response message addressed to the forwarding channel; and at the forwarding channel, generating a second response message addressed to the client node. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
-
Specification