Nonstop Networks Limited

Fred William Tims

Richard F Clowes

David J Schroeder

Kevin C Yager

The invention relates to the provision of software with fault tolerant capabilities enabling computer networks to survive or tolerate most individual failures, short of system wide catastrophes such as earthquakes, without loss of data and without loss of access to working data.

Fault-tolerant networkable computer software with access locking

Server fault tolerance on local area computer networks is provided by novel workstation implemented software which detects failure of a primary file server and reroutes data storage activity routed via the primary file server, to be routed via an invention-provided secondary file server. Shared file management of multiple file servers or intelligent hosts supporting a single or common high availability data storage system, for example a RAID drive, enables server or host fault tolerance to be provided for such a single highly, reliable data-storage system. Cross-mirroring in such a multi-host, high availability data storage system, along with secondary write suppression, enables server fault tolerance to be provided without significant redundant hardware costs and without a single point of failure in the data storage access paths.

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Springfield Center, NY, United States of America

Fred William Tims