Fault tolerance software system with periodic external self-test failure detection

An apparatus for use in providing improved fault tolerance in a computing system, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one computing machine having a processor and a memory, the processor being operatively coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is operative:
• (i) to execute a control program in conjunction with a fault tolerance software system running on the at least one computing machine, and (ii) to initiate via the control program a test script program which sends one or more requests to a monitored program, wherein the test script program processes corresponding responses to the one or more requests, and generates at least one return value utilizable by the control program to indicate a failure condition in the monitored program.

A storage medium for storing program code for use in providing improved fault tolerance in a computing system comprising at least one computing machine, wherein the program code when executed on the at least one computing machine performs the steps of:

• executing a control program in conjunction with a fault tolerance software system running on the at least one computing machine;
• and
• initiating via the control program a test script program which sends one or more requests to a monitored program, wherein the test script program processes corresponding responses to the one or more requests, and generates at least one return value utilizable by the control program to indicate a failure condition in the monitored program.