Patent ID: 8103759

Claim:
A computer implemented method for storing endpoint information for a lock owner of an instance of a workflow, the computer implemented method performed within a computer system including one or more processors and system memory, the computer system included in a group of computer systems, each computer system in the group of computer systems configured to implement instances of the workflow representing a service such that the group of computer systems can simultaneously implement a plurality of instances of the workflow to simultaneously provide a plurality of instances of the service to other client computer systems, the service including an internal service endpoint for receiving messages, the computer implemented method comprising: performing within the computer system and upon the one or more processors: an act of the service receiving a client message on the internal service endpoint; an act of the service sending a lock request for a new instance of the workflow to a shared database, the shared database being shared among the plurality of computer systems in the group of computer systems, the new instance of the workflow to provide an instance of the service to the client computer system; an act of the service receiving a lock reply from the shared database, the lock reply indicating that the service can lock a new instance of the workflow for the client computer system; and an act of the service inserting a lock entry into the shared database, the lock entry indicating that redirected client messages for the new instance of the workflow are to be sent to a redirect service endpoint, reference to the lock entry providing sufficient information to other computer systems to enable the other computer systems to send client messages for the new instance of the workflow to the computer system.