Patent ID: 7549167

Claim:
A self-cleansing system that performs routine and cyclical, self-cleansing activities without waiting for or detecting a system failure comprising: a) at least two subsystems, said at least two subsystems including an active subsystem and at least one available inactive subsystem, wherein said active subsystem is automatically assumed to have failed regardless of whether said active subsystem actually has failed; b) a communications link connecting said at least two subsystems; c) a local network connecting said at least two subsystems to an external network; d) an arbitration mechanism designating one of said at least one available inactive subsystem to be a designated active system; e) an IP address shared by at least said active subsystem and said designated active subsystem, only said active subsystem utilizing said IP address to output information to said external network; f) a transfer mechanism: i) deactivating said active subsystem, causing said active subsystem to become a deactivated subsystem; and ii) activating said designated active subsystem, causing said designated active subsystem to become said active subsystem; and g) a self-cleansing mechanism automatically cleansing said deactivated subsystem, causing said deactivated subsystem to become one of said at least one available inactive subsystem.