Hosting a network service on a cluster of servers using a single-address image

An apparatus for routing client requests to a plurality of servers configured to support a network service over a communication network, each of the servers having a primary address, the apparatus comprising:

• means for assigning a common address as a secondary address for each of the plurality of servers such that each of the servers individually has the secondary address;
• and
• means for processing client requests directed to the common address such that each of the requests is processed by a particular one of the plurality of servers without modification of the common address in the request.

An apparatus for routing client requests for a network service over a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of servers configured to support the network service, each of the servers having a primary address and a secondary address, wherein a common address is assigned as the secondary address for each of the plurality of servers such that each of the servers individually has the secondary address;
• and
• a router coupled to the servers and operative to route client requests directed to the common address such that each of the requests is processed by a particular one of the plurality of servers without modification of the common address in the request.

A method of routing client requests to a plurality of servers configured to support a network service over a communication network, each of the servers having a primary address, the method comprising the steps of:

• assigning a common address as a secondary address for each of the plurality of servers such that each of the servers individually has the secondary address;
• and
• processing client requests directed to the common address such that each of the requests is processed by a particular one of the plurality of servers without modification of the common address in the request, wherein each of the servers provides access to substantially the same set of contents associated with the network service.

An apparatus for routing client requests to a plurality of servers configured to support a network service over a communication network, each of the servers having a primary address, the apparatus comprising:

• means for assigning a common address as a secondary address for each of the plurality of servers such that each of the servers individually has the secondary address;
• and
• means for processing client requests directed to the common address such that each of the requests is processed by a particular one of the plurality of servers without modification of the common address in the request, wherein each of the servers provides access to substantially the same set of contents associated with the network service.

An apparatus for routing client requests for a network service over a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of servers configured to support the network service, each of the servers having a primary address and a secondary address, wherein a common address is assigned as the secondary address for each of the plurality of servers such that each of the servers individually has the secondary address, and wherein each of the servers provides access to substantially the same set of contents associated with the network service;
• and
• a router coupled to the servers and operative to route client requests directed to the common address such that each of the requests is processed by a particular one of the plurality of servers without modification of the common address in the request.

An apparatus for routing client requests for a network service over a communication network, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of servers configured to support the network service, each of the servers having a primary address and a secondary address, wherein a common address is assigned as the secondary address for each of the plurality of servers such that each of the servers individually has the secondary address;
• and
• a router coupled to the servers and operative to route client requests directed to the common address such that each of the requests is processed by a particular one of the plurality of servers, wherein the router is further operative to broadcast a given client request directed to the common address to each of the plurality of servers, and further wherein each of the servers implements a filtering routine so that the given client request is processed by only one of the servers without modification of the common address in the request.