Patent ID: 8166197

Claim:
A method for providing a plurality of paths that allow a client to access a website in a network that uses Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, the method comprising: obtaining an IP address from a Domain Name Server (DNS) server by sending a DNS query thereto, wherein the IP address and the website are associated with a domain name, the domain name being identified in the query; wherein a first web server is arranged to support the website at said IP address, and wherein a first path in the plurality of paths that allow the client to access the website is between the client and the first web server; wherein the first web server is associated with a first autonomous system comprising a first list of IP addresses including said IP address; wherein a second web server is arranged to support the website at said IP address, and wherein a second path in the plurality of paths that allow the client to access the website is between the client and the second web server; wherein the second web server is associated with a second autonomous system comprising a second list of IP addresses including said IP address; wherein the website is accessible through a router executing a gateway protocol, via at least one of the first path or the second path to said IP address, on at least one of the first web server or the second web server, and said gateway protocol is used to route packets between the first autonomous system and the second autonomous system; subsequent to said obtaining, determining whether the first path to the IP address is available to the client to access the website on the first web server, at least by checking whether links and nodes in the first path are functional; initiating a session from the client to the first web server to access the website in the first autonomous system by using the first path to the IP address when the first path is at least available; monitoring whether the first path remains available during said session, by at least repeating said determining; and when the first path is found during said monitoring to be unavailable, using the second path to access the website in the second autonomous system.