Patent ID: 6430622
Filing Date: 2002-08-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of transferring a Virtual IP Address (VIPA) from a first application instance to a second application instance, wherein the first application instance and the second application instance are executing on a cluster of data processing systems having a plurality of communication protocol stacks associated therewith and wherein the first application instance is associated with a first of the plurality of communication protocol stacks and the second application instance is associated with a second of the plurality of communication protocol stacks, the method comprising the steps of:distributing among the plurality of communication protocol stacks a list of dynamic VIPAs, wherein a hierarchy of backup communication protocol stacks for the dynamic VIPAs in the list of dynamic VIPAs is determined based on the list of dynamic VIPAs; receiving notification of failure of the first communication protocol stack at the second of the plurality of communication protocol stacks; evaluating the hierarchy of backup communication protocol stacks to determine if the second of the plurality of communication protocol stacks is a next communication protocol stack of the plurality of communications after the first of the plurality of communication protocol stacks in the hierarchy of backup communication protocol stacks for the VIPA associated with the first application instance; and transferring the VIPA associated with the first application instance to the second of the plurality of communication protocol stacks associated with the second application instance if the list of dynamic VIPAs identifies the second of the plurality of communication protocol stacks as the next communication protocol stack of the plurality of communications after the first of the plurality of communication protocol stacks in the hierarchy of backup communication protocol stacks for the VIPA associated with the first application instance.