Patent ID: 6389551
Filing Date: 2002-05-14
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of preventing false or necessary failovers due to network failures in a high availability cluster including a plurality of systems communicating via a network communication path, comprising the steps of:providing an independent quorum service which each of said systems can communicate with independently of said network communication path; after failure of a particular system in said cluster is suspected due to failure of a periodic heartbeat communication signal sent along said network communication path, sending a registration signal to said quorum service from other systems indicating that such other systems are operational; initiating shutdown procedures at said particular system if said particular system is unable to send a registration signal to said quorum service; and proceeding with failover activities by at least one of the systems other than said particular system that is unable to send a registration signal to said quorum service so as to proceed to run at least one application otherwise intended to be run on said particular system.