Patent ID: 8499336

Claim:
An authentication server comprising: a memory; a processor operable to execute instructions stored in the memory; a network interface in communication with an authentication client on a network using an authentication protocol; an authentication module for maintaining state for an individual authentication session with the authentication client; and a mirroring module in communication with the authentication module, the mirroring module configured to receive authentication messages from the authentication module and from the authentication client for the individual authentication session, the mirroring module configured to individually forward each of the received authentication messages to an authentication mirror via a service provider's network, and the mirroring module configured to select the authentication mirror from a pool of peer servers on the service provider's network, each incoming authentication message being forwarded upon arrival by the authentication server to provide synchronization with a mirror server, allowing the authentication mirror to be up-to-date, wherein the instructions are operable to send identifying information of the authentication mirror to the authentication client via authentication protocol messages while received authentication messages for the authentication session are being forwarded by the authentication module.