Patent ID: 7484006

Claim:
A system for server network configuration and addressing in a cluster that allows multiple network access points to be associated with server instances in the cluster, the system comprising: a plurality of computer devices, each of which includes a processor, that operate together as a cluster, and that include a plurality of software servers operating thereon as members of the cluster, wherein the cluster is enabled to receive requests from external servers and clients and then communicate the requests internally to the cluster members for processing; a software interface layer including a plurality of communications channels within the cluster, that are accessible by the plurality of software servers to communicate with one another within the cluster, and that are also accessible by external servers and clients to communicate with and send requests to the cluster; a plurality of network access points on each of the software servers within the cluster, that are used by the software servers to communicate with other software servers in the cluster and to listen to the communications channels for requests, including for each software server one or a plurality of network access points, including at least one network access point that is configured for each selected communications channel accessed by the software server, wherein each network access point defines a set of listen ports and a single listen address which, when combined, specify a network access point that is unique to that server, and wherein for a particular software server each of its plurality of network access points are identified by a combination of a listen address for the computer device on which the software server operates and a listen port selected from the set of listen ports for that server; and wherein a network request received from an external server or client by the cluster identifies uses a target server's listen port in combination with a target server's listen address in the request to determine a corresponding particular one of said the plurality of network access points at the target server, and wherein said the network request is then communicated within the cluster to the target server over the communications channel that is associated with that particular network access point.