Patent ID: 7428655
Filing Date: 2008-09-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A high-availability (HA) cluster system, the system comprising: a plurality of computing nodes of said cluster; clustering software configured to manage said cluster; and a smart card, including a microprocessor-based system, communicatively connected to each of the nodes, wherein each node is configured to transmit a first heartbeat type signal when the node is up, and wherein each smart card is configured to transmit second heartbeat type signal when the smart card is up, wherein the system is configured to check for transmission of both the first and second heartbeat type signals from each node, and wherein the system is further configured, such that, if the second heartbeat type signal is being transmitted from a node, but the first heartbeat signal is absent from the node, then verification is made as to whether a switchover sequence was performed by the smart card for the node.