Patent ID: 6934875

Claim:
Apparatus for providing to a third system connection information for a connection between first and second systems, the first, second and third systems being connected by a network, comprising; a network interface to connect the third system to the network as a peer to the first and the second systems; a selector responsive to the network interface identifying information regarding the connection between the first and second systems; memory storing the information regarding the connection between the first and second systems in response to the selector being responsive to the network interface identifying the information, the information including at least one data packet, the memory further storing connection state information corresponding to the at least one data packet; an output queue for sending the information regarding the connection between the first and second systems to the third system in response to one of the first and second systems having failed, such that failover is achieved to the third system in a peer-to-peer manner; a first mechanism to broadcast ownership information when each of the first, second, and third systems is booted; and, a second mechanism to return the first system from a failed state to a normal stated; and, a third mechanism by which connection is regained by the first system from the second system.