METHOD AND APPARATUS OF LOAD SHARING AND IMPROVING FAULT TOLERANCE IN AN INTERACTIVE VIDEO DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

摘要

Apparatus and method providing improved fault tolerance through redundancy o f hardware and software suitable for use in a head-end of an interactive information distribution system. Communications between each of a head-end controllers (130) and each of the server modules (106) are coincidentally se nt along at least two signal paths (111) to provide to additional fault toleran ce in the event one of the signal paths becomes inoperable. In one embodiment, a video switch (113) comprises a plurality of I/O ports (320) coupled between a plurality of server modules (106) and a plurality of subscriber equipment (124) for transferring video information between the server (102) and the subscriber equipment (124). A primary and secondary switch controller (144) are each coupled to the head-end controllers (130) and the plurality of I/O ports (320). The primary switch controller is used for routing data packets containing said video information between the plurality of I/O ports. The secondary switch controller monitors status of the primary switch controller and I/O ports and initiates a switchover event in an instance where the primary switch controller exhibits a failure.