Patent ID: 7519721

Claim:
An apparatus for providing Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) to a plurality of target hosts in a cluster of data processing systems, said apparatus comprising: a shadow SA cache at each of said target hosts, wherein said shadow SA cache is configured to store security association (SA) information associated with a dynamically routable distributed Virtual Internet Protocol Address (DVIPA); an Internet Key Exchange (IKE) module; and a routing communication protocol stack at each of said target hosts, wherein said routing communication protocol stack is associated with said IKE module, wherein said routing communication protocol is configured to route communications from a network to said target hosts, wherein said routing communication protocol stack is configured to distribute SA information negotiated by said IKE module and associated with said DVIPA to said communication protocol stack at each of said target hosts, wherein said routing communication protocol stack is configured to store said IPSec information in said shadow SA cache.