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

A computer program product for managing port numbers of a cluster having a plurality of system resources including processor nodes, shared memory and I/O circuitry through which the plurality of system resources are electrically connected and through which data packets can be exchanged with other clusters, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, including:

• program code that establishes a group of unique port numbers dedicated for use by an associated one of the processor nodes of the cluster, the group of unique port numbers being registered in a lookaside list such that the group forms a locked range of port numbers;
• program code that allocates a port number from the locked range of port numbers to an application executing on the one processor node;
• program code for establishing a connection between the application running on the one processor node and an application running on a processor node of another cluster;
• and
• program code for storing information identifying the connection in a database location that is indexed by a combination of an address of the one processor node and the allocated port number, such that a data packet returning across that connection can be delivered to the application executing on the one processor node by any processor node of the cluster receiving the data packet.

A computer system, comprising

• a plurality of processor nodes, comprising a cluster;
• a database, accessible by each of the processor nodes of the cluster, including a range of available port numbers;
• and
• a first processor node, of the plurality of processor nodes, for executing a first application that registers a subset of the port numbers, from the range of available port numbers, in a lookaside list such that the subset forms a locked range of port numbers and wherein information regarding the locked range of port numbers is accessible by all of the processor nodes of the cluster through the lookaside list, said information indicating which locked port numbers can only be used by applications running on a certain processor node of the cluster.