Floating single master operation

In a network comprising a plurality of servers, wherein each of the plurality of servers is capable of performing a predefined network-wide task, a system for dynamically identifying a master server to exclusively perform the predefined network-wide task, comprising:

• a replicated database storing a role owner attribute identifying a master server to exclusively perform the predefined network-wide task and a second object used by a master server to perform the predefined task wherein the value of the second object changes during performance of the predefined task, and wherein a local copy of the database is stored on each of the plurality of servers;
• a requesting server to request assignment of the master server role to the requesting server;
• and
• the master server operative to receive the request, change the role owner attribute in the local copy of the replicated database to identify the requesting server, forward an updated attribute to the requesting server to be stored in the local copy of the replicated database located on the requesting server, and forward an updated second object to the second server wherein the value of the second object is the value of the second object on the master server when the attribute was updated to identify the requesting server.

In a network having a plurality of servers, wherein each of the plurality of servers is capable of performing a predefined network-wide task and has a replicated database stored thereon with a master role owner attribute for identifying a master with exclusive authority to perform a predefined network-wide task and with a second data object used by a master to perform the predefined task, wherein the value of the second object changes during performance of the predefined task, a method of transferring ownership of the master role from a current master server in the plurality of servers to a requesting server in the plurality of servers, comprising:

• communicating a request to transfer ownership of the master server role from the current master server to a requesting server;
• if the current master server is available to be replaced as master server, updating the master role owner attribute located in the local copy of the replicated database located on the master server to a value identifying the requesting server, updating the master role owner attribute on the local copy of the replicated database located on the requesting server to a value identifying the requesting server, and updating the second object on the local copy of the requesting server to the value of the second object on the master server when the attribute was changed to refer to the requesting server;
• and
• replicating the local copy of the replicated database from the master server and requesting server to other servers in the plurality of servers.

In a network having a plurality of servers, wherein each server is capable of performing a predefined network-wide task and has a replicated database stored thereon with a master role owner attribute for identifying a master server role owner in the plurality of servers with exclusive authority to perform a predefined network-wide task, the plurality of servers including a current master server identified by the master role owner attribute and a second server, a method of controlling the master server role owner, comprising the following steps:

• floating the role of master server from the current master server to the second server;
• if the current master server has been taken off-line, seizing the role of master server;
• if the current master server was previously taken off-line, restoring the current master server to the network and prior to beginning operation as the master server, verifying that another server is not operating as the master server;
• and
• abandoning the role of master server.

In a network having a plurality of servers, wherein each of the plurality of servers is capable of performing a predefined network-wide task and has a replicated database stored thereon with a master role owner attribute for identifying a master with exclusive authority to perform the predefined network-wide task and with a second data object used by a master server to perform the predefined task, wherein the value of the second object changes during performance of the predefined task, a method of transferring ownership of the master role, comprising:

• at a first server having a role owner attribute identifying a second server as the master server, communicating a request to the second server to transfer ownership of the master server role to the first server;
• at the second server, receiving the request to transfer ownership of the master server role and verifying in the database replicated on the second server that the master role owner attribute identifies the second server as the master server role owner;
• and
• at the second server, if the role owner attribute does not identify the second server as the master server role owner, communicating to the first server, the server identified in the master role owner attribute as the master server role owner.