Patent ID: 7649854

Claim:
A system for providing channels within application servers, comprising: a server, including one or more processors; a plurality of applications provided on the server for access by clients when servicing requests; a plurality of channels for use by the clients in accessing the plurality of applications, wherein each of the plurality of applications include virtual websites each having a unique address and a channel associated therewith for receiving requests for each virtual website, and wherein the plurality of channels operating within a plurality of servers include a cluster channel; a configuration file that includes a list of the plurality of applications, including for each application in the list a channel provided by the server that is used to access said application; and wherein at run time the server parses the configuration file, defines, according to the configuration file, an association between the plurality of channels with the plurality of applications, and whereupon receiving a request the server, determines, in the request, which application the request is directed to, assigns the request to the channel as specified by the configuration file, wherein when the request received is to access one of the plurality of applications on another server, the cluster channel is assigned for use in accessing the application, and transmits the request to the application via the assigned channel.