Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products provide assignment of ports for connections originated by multiple application instances executing on different data processing systems utilizing a common network address. An indication of available ports for the common network address is provided to each of the different data processing systems executing the multiple application instances. A port identified as available is selected as a port for a connection utilizing the common network address.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for distributing Transport Control Protocol (TCP) connections to a specific data processing system in a cluster of data processing systems by establishing a TCP connection between a client and a first data processing system in the cluster of data processing systems. The information is obtained from the client over the TCP connection to the first data processing system. The information obtained over the TCP connection to the first data processing system is evaluated to select a target data processing system in the cluster of data processing systems for the TCP connection. The TCP connection is transferred from the first data processing system to the selected target data processing system. The transfer of the TCP connection is transparent to the client.

Abstract: Cluster-wide port assignments in a workload distribution system in a cluster of data processing systems are provided such that a unique port may be provided for a socket. Establishing ports associated with workload distribution is also provided by allowing either enumerated ports and/or all ports of a common IP address to be associated with workload distribution. Workload distribution is provided in a cluster of data processing systems where a single IP address may be associated with a plurality of data processing systems and/or protocol stacks in the cluster of data processing systems and a port of the single IP address may be shared among multiple data processing systems and/or protocol stacks or may be unique among the plurality of data processing systems and/or protocol stacks.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products provide for transferring network security based communications from a first distribution processor, which provides secure communications over a network in a distributed workload environment having target hosts which are accessed through the first distribution processor by a common network address, to a second distribution processor. Information sufficient to restart the transferred network security based communications at the second distribution processor is provided. Takeover of the common address by the second distribution processor is detected and existing network security based communications to the first distribution processor are terminated. The transferred communications are restarted at the second distribution processor utilizing the provided information. Both inbound and outbound network security based communications with target hosts utilizing the common network address are routed through the second distribution processor.

Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products provide secure communications over a network in a distributed workload environment having target hosts which are accessed through a distribution processor by a common network address. Secure communications are provided by routing both inbound and outbound communications with target hosts which are associated with a secure network communication through the distribution processor. Both inbound and outbound secure network communications are processed at the distribution processor so as to provide network security processing of communications from the target host and network security processing of communications to the target host.