Computer method and apparatus for managing network ports cluster-wide using a lookaside list

摘要

In accordance with the present invention a method is provided for managing TCP port numbers used by applications running on a cluster. Using that method, ranges of TCP port numbers are locked (reserved) by a processor node of a cluster. An application running on one of those processor nodes uses a locked TCP port number when issuing a data packet that includes the cluster alias address as the source address. With such an invention, applications running on each processor node within a cluster will use unique TCP port numbers when using the cluster alias address. Therefore, connections between a source and destination application can be uniquely registered at the destination processor node using an index formed by a combination of the source address and the TCP port number with the destination address and TCP port number.