System and method for addressing scheme for use on clusters

A method of sending a message between a client and a peripheral hardware device of a server cluster, the server cluster having a default server and at least one backup server, the server cluster also having a common address, the peripheral hardware device being shared by the server cluster and having a unique peripheral hardware identifier that is not assigned by a server's operating system, the method comprising:

• sending a message including the unique peripheral hardware identifier from the client to the common address of the server cluster;
• parsing the unique peripheral hardware identifier from the message in the server cluster;
• looking up a path for the unique peripheral hardware identifier in a look-up table in the default server;
• and
• forwarding the message to the peripheral hardware device in accordance with the local path.

A computer program product on a computer readable medium for forwarding a message received by a server cluster to a commonly shared piece of peripheral hardware of the server cluster comprising:

• computer code for creating a look-up table in each server of the server cluster for all peripheral hardware devices coupled to the server cluster which relates a unique peripheral hardware identifier of a peripheral hardware device to a local path wherein the unique peripheral hardware identifier is not assigned by an operating system wherein the unique peripheral hardware identifier for a peripheral hardware device is shared by all servers in the server cluster;
• computer code for receiving at a server of the server cluster a message with a unique peripheral hardware identifier appended;
• computer code for parsing from the message, the unique peripheral hardware identifier;
• computer code for locating the local path in the look-up table for the peripheral hardware device based on the unique peripheral hardware identifier;
• and
• computer code for forwarding the message.to the local path.

A method of sending a message between a client and shared peripheral hardware of a server cluster having one default and at least one backup server, the server cluster having a common address, the peripheral hardware having a unique peripheral hardware identifier, the method comprising:

• selecting at the client a shared peripheral hardware device of the server cluster to send a message;
• creating at the client an address identifier comprising at least the unique peripheral hardware identifier for the selected peripheral hardware device appended to the common address;
• sending a message to the shared peripheral hardware device of the server cluster appended to the address identifier;
• receiving the message and the address identifier at the server cluster;
• parsing the unique peripheral hardware identifier from the address identifier;
• mapping the unique peripheral hardware identifier of the selected peripheral hardware to a local path wherein the unique peripheral hardware identifier for the peripheral hardware is shared by all servers in the server cluster;
• and
• forwarding the message to the shared peripheral hardware device based on the local path.

A digital storage medium encoded with instructions which, when loaded into a computer forwards a message to a peripheral hardware device received by a server cluster, the server cluster having a default server and at least one backup server, the server cluster also having a common address, the peripheral hardware device being shared by the server cluster, the device comprising:

• a receiver module at the server for receiving a message with a unique peripheral hardware identifier appended;
• a parser for parsing the unique peripheral hardware identifier from the message;
• a locator for locating a local path in a look-up table which relates each unique peripheral hardware identifier to a local path for the coupled peripheral hardware device based on the unique peripheral hardware identifier wherein the unique peripheral hardware identifier is not provided by an operating system;
• and
• a forwarder for forwarding the message to the peripheral hardware device along the local path.