Patent ID: 8023407

Claim:
A system for providing redundancy within a communication network, the system having: a first node having a first physical private IP address in a first sub-network, a second node having a second physical private IP address in a second sub-network, with only one of said nodes being active at any given time; a plurality of clients for accessing services and applications of said first node and said second node, said services and applications being associated with a public virtual IP address, said public virtual IP address belonging to a sub-network that is different from said first sub-network and second sub-network, and said plurality of clients being configured to use said public virtual IP address to access said services and applications; at least one router for routing instructions related to said services and application between said clients and said first node or second node via said network, said router having routing information specifying the active node such that communication destined for said public virtual IP address is directed via either said first node or said second node; and wherein said public virtual IP address is transferred from one of said nodes to another of said nodes when the previously inactive node becomes active, such that said clients are able to seamlessly access said services and applications via said public virtual IP address associated with now active node.