Patent ID: 8010594

Claim:
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, via: a transfer control protocol connection between said first application server and a terminal server, and a serial cable between said terminal server and said billing system, such that only a single one of said N application servers can connect to said billing system at any given time, said connection between said first application server and said terminal server including an instance of said software component residing on said first application server running on a processor of said first application server to initiate said transfer control protocol connection between said first application server and said terminal server, 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, via: a transfer control protocol connection between said second application server and said terminal server, and said serial cable between said terminal server and said billing system, said connection between said second application server and said terminal server including an instance of said software component residing on said second application server running on a processor of said second application server to initiate said transfer control protocol connection between said second application server and said terminal server, 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 transmission control protocol/internet protocol network connecting said N application servers.