Patent ID: 7320130

Claim:
A method for preventing a computer from concurrently operating a software application already operating on another computer, wherein a first password is assigned to a first computer and a second password is assigned to a second computer, and wherein a locking device password is assigned to a locking device, the first computer and the second computer, the method comprising: (a) detecting a failure of the first computer by the second computer; (b) supplying the locking device password and the second password from the second computer to the locking device; (c) comparing the locking device password and a currently existing password of the locking device; (d) changing the currently existing password of the locking device to the second password if the locking device password matches the currently existing password of the locking device, wherein the second computer operates the software application exclusively in a network and wherein another computer is prevented from concurrently operating the software application; and (e) releasing the locking device by the second computer by changing the currently existing password of the lockin device from the second password to the locking device password.