Patent ID: 7461347

Claim:
A computer system for distributed collaborative computing, the system comprising: a plurality of server computers connected to a plurality of client computers via a global-area computer network; a high-speed direct connection link connecting the plurality of server computers; and a computer program executable by the server computers, wherein the computer a program comprises computer instructions for: spawning a plurality of logical collaboration servers distributed across the plurality of server computers; receiving a request to join an on-line conference from a particular client computer of the plurality of client computers; selecting a particular logical collaboration server on a particular one of the plurality of server computers, from the plurality of logical collaboration servers, to support the client computer; replicating conference information to the particular logical collaboration server from another logical collaboration server; conducting an on-line conference among the particular client computer and an arbitrary number of other client computers connected to an arbitrary number of other logical collaboration servers on the server computers connected to each other by over the global area network and the high-speed direct connection link; displaying a document stored on the particular client computer on an arbitrary number of other client computers; monitoring the operational status of the logical collaboration server; and spawning a new logical collaboration server process in the event failure of a spawned logical collaboration server is detected.