System and method for billing system interface failover resolution
First Claim
1. A method comprising the steps of:
- determining whether a first application server of a group of N application servers having only a single coordinator, N being at least two, is said coordinator of said group, each of said N application servers having an instance of a software component thereon;
responsive to determining that said first application server is said coordinator of said group, establishing a connection between said first application server and a billing system, said connection between said first application server and said billing system being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said first application server and said billing system including an instance of said software component residing on said first application server running on a processor of said first application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said first application server and said billing system, those of said N application servers other than said first application server not running, except for a heartbeat function, while said first application server is said coordinator of said group;
determining whether a second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group;
responsive to determining that said second application server is not said coordinator of said group, continuing to check whether said second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group;
responsive to said first application server experiencing difficulty, determining that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group; and
responsive to determining that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group, establishing a connection between said second application server and said billing system, said connection between said second application server and said billing system also being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said second application server and said billing system including an instance of said software component residing on said second application server running on a processor of said second application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said second application server and said billing system, those of said N application servers other than said second application server not running, except for said heartbeat function, while said second application server is said coordinator of said group;
wherein said determining steps are carried out by said heartbeat function sending multicast heartbeats over a network connecting said N application servers.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A determination is made whether a first application server of a group of N application servers, N being at least two, is a coordinator of the group. Responsive to determining that the first application server is the coordinator of the group, a connection to a billing system is established, via a terminal server, by the first application server. A determination is made whether a second application server of the group of N application servers is the coordinator of the group. Responsive to determining that the second application server is not the coordinator of the group, a periodic check is made whether the second application server of the group of N application servers is the coordinator of the group. The second application server may later be determined to be the coordinator of the group, when the first server experiences difficulty. Once it is determined that the second application server now is the coordinator of the group, a connection is established to the billing system, via the terminal server, by the second application server.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method comprising the steps of:
-
determining whether a first application server of a group of N application servers having only a single coordinator, N being at least two, is said coordinator of said group, each of said N application servers having an instance of a software component thereon; responsive to determining that said first application server is said coordinator of said group, establishing a connection between said first application server and a billing system, said connection between said first application server and said billing system being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said first application server and said billing system including an instance of said software component residing on said first application server running on a processor of said first application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said first application server and said billing system, those of said N application servers other than said first application server not running, except for a heartbeat function, while said first application server is said coordinator of said group; determining whether a second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group; responsive to determining that said second application server is not said coordinator of said group, continuing to check whether said second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group; responsive to said first application server experiencing difficulty, determining that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group; and responsive to determining that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group, establishing a connection between said second application server and said billing system, said connection between said second application server and said billing system also being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said second application server and said billing system including an instance of said software component residing on said second application server running on a processor of said second application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said second application server and said billing system, those of said N application servers other than said second application server not running, except for said heartbeat function, while said second application server is said coordinator of said group; wherein said determining steps are carried out by said heartbeat function sending multicast heartbeats over a network connecting said N application servers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A system comprising:
-
a broadband provisioning system, said broadband provisioning system in turn comprising a group of N operatively interconnected application servers having only a single coordinator, N being at least two, each of said N application servers having an instance of a software component thereon; and at least one billing system; wherein said N application servers are cooperatively configured to; determine whether a first of said application servers is said coordinator of said group; responsive to determining that said first application server is said coordinator of said group, establish a connection between said first application server and said at least one billing system, said connection between said first application server and said at least one billing system being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said at least one billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said first application server and said at least one billing system including a corresponding one of said instances of said software component, residing on said first application server, running on said first application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said first application server and said at least one billing system, those of said N application servers other than said first application server not running, except for a heartbeat function, while said first application server is said coordinator of said group; determine whether a second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group; responsive to determining that said second application server is not said coordinator of said group, continue to check whether said second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group; responsive to said first application server experiencing difficulty, determine that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group; and responsive to determining that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group, establish a connection between said second application server and said at least one billing system, said connection between said second application server and said billing system also being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said at least one billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said second application server and said at least one billing system including a corresponding one of said instances of said software component, residing on said second application server, running on said second application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said second application server and said at least one billing system, those of said N application servers other than said second application server not running, except for said heartbeat function, while said second application server is said coordinator of said group; wherein said application servers are operatively interconnected by a network and said application servers make said determinations by said heartbeat function sending multicast heartbeats over said network. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A system comprising:
-
means for determining whether a first application server of a group of N application servers having only a single coordinator, N being at least two, is said coordinator of said group, each of said N application servers having an instance of a software component thereon; means for, responsive to determining that said first application server is said coordinator of said group, establishing a connection between said first application server and a billing system, said connection between said first application server and said billing system being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said first application server and said billing system including an instance of said software component residing on said first application server running on a processor of said first application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said first application server and said billing system, those of said N application servers other than said first application server not running, except for a heartbeat function, while said first application server is said coordinator of said group; means for determining whether a second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group; means for, responsive to determining that said second application server is not said coordinator of said group, continuing to check whether said second application server of said group of N application servers is said coordinator of said group; means for, responsive to said first application server experiencing difficulty, determining that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group; and means for, responsive to determining that said second application server now is said coordinator of said group, establishing a connection between said second application server and said billing system, said connection between said second application server and said billing system also being configured such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said billing system at any given time, at least a portion of said connection between said second application server and said billing system including an instance of said software component residing on said second application server running on a processor of said second application server to initiate at least said portion of said connection between said second application server and said billing system, those of said N application servers other than said second application server not running, except for said heartbeat function, while said second application server is said coordinator of said group; wherein said means for determining comprise means for sending multicast heartbeats over a network connecting said N application servers, said means for sending comprising said heartbeat function. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification