Patent ID: 8126958
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04M

Abstract:
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.