# US 2014/0157042 A1 · Load balancing and failover of gateway devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157042 A1 - Document ID: US20140157042A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/689,877 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: Unisys Corporation - Inventors: Robert A. Johnson; Kathleen Wild; Gerald Quammen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157042A1 ## CPC - G06F 11/2002: {where interconnections or communication control functionality are redundant (flexible arrangements for bus networks involving redundancy H04L12/40176)} - H04L 63/0428: {wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload} - H04L 63/065: {for group communications (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833)} - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04L 63/104: {Grouping of entities} - H04L 63/20: {for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227)} - G06F 11/2028: {eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Methods and systems for load balancing and failover among gateway devices are disclosed. One method provides for assigning communication transaction handling to a gateway. The method includes receiving a request for a license from a computing device at a control gateway within a group of gateway devices including a plurality of gateway devices configured to support communication of cryptographically split data. The method also includes assigning communications from the computing device to one of the plurality of gateway devices based on a load balancing algorithm, and routing the communication request to the assigned gateway device. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-22. (canceled) ### Claim 23 A computer data product containing encoded, non-transient data representing instructions for a programmable computing system that when read and executed by the computing system implements a method for assigning communication transaction handling to a gateway, the method comprising: receiving a request for a license from a computing device at a control gateway within a group of gateway devices including a plurality of gateway devices configured to support communication of cryptographically split data; assigning communications from the computing device to one of the plurality of gateway devices based on a load balancing algorithm; and routing the communication request to the assigned gateway device; wherein the cryptographically splitting data utilize a plurality of encryption keys to create a plurality of separate community of interest data sets in which the primary write requests and corresponding plurality of secondary write request are members of the community of interest associated with the one of the plurality of encryption keys used in the write requests. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, wherein, prior to assigning communications with the source, none of the plurality of gateway devices are assigned to handle communications from the computing device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, further comprising associating a plurality of gateway devices in the group using a workgroup key. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, further comprising defining one of the plurality of gateway devices as a control gateway device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of gateway devices is a secure network appliance. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, wherein the group of gateway devices provides to the computing device controlled access to a trusted network. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, further comprising periodically transmitting a heartbeat message to the other gateway devices in the group. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The computer data product of claim 29, further comprising receiving heartbeat messages from the other gateway devices in the group. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, further comprising granting a license to the computing device from among a predetermined number of licenses available from the group of gateway devices. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, wherein receiving a communication request from a computing device at a control gateway comprises receiving a communication request addressed to a group address, wherein the group address is associated with an address assigned to the control gateway device. ### Claim 33 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, wherein assigning communications from the computing device to one of the plurality of gateway devices based on a load balancing algorithm includes assigning communications from the computing device to a least-loaded gateway device from among the plurality of gateway devices. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The computer data product of claim 33, wherein the least-loaded gateway device and the control gateway device are separate gateway devices. ### Claim 35 (depends on 23) The computer data product of claim 23, wherein the computing device comprises a parsed client communicatively connected to the group of gateway devices via an untrusted network. ### Claim 36 A computer data product containing encoded, non-transient data representing instructions for a programmable computing system that when read and executed by the computing system implements a method for handling failover from a failed gateway device in a group including a plurality of gateway devices, the method comprising: determining the existence of a failed gateway device within the group of gateway devices, each of the gateway devices configured to support communication of cryptographically split data; determining whether the failed gateway device is a control gateway device for the group of gateway devices; and upon determining that the failed device is a control gateway device: assigning a remaining gateway device in the group as a new control gateway device; notifying network resources to communicate with the new control gateway device; notifying the other remaining gateway devices in the group of the identity of the new control gateway device; wherein the cryptographically splitting data utilize a plurality of encryption keys to create a plurality of separate community of interest data sets in which the primary write requests and corresponding plurality of secondary write request are members of the community of interest associated with the one of the plurality of encryption keys used in the write requests. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The computer data product of claim 36, further comprising determining at a gateway device within the group of gateway devices non-receipt of a heartbeat message from the failed gateway device. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The computer data product of claim 36, further comprising receiving a message indicating shutdown of the failed gateway device from the failed gateway device. ### Claim 39 (depends on 36) The computer data product of claim 36, further comprising reassigning computing devices associated with the failed gateway device to one of the remaining gateway devices. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The computer data product of claim 39, further comprising reassigning computing devices associated with the group of gateway devices, ### Claim 41 (depends on 36) The computer data product of claim 36, wherein each of the gateway devices is a secure network appliance.