Abstract: An Integrity Server computer for economically protecting the data of a computer network's servers, and providing hot standby access to up-to-date copies of the data of a failed server. As the servers' files are created or modified, they are copied to the Integrity Server. The invention provides novel methods for managing the data stored on the Integrity Server, so that up-to-date snapshots of files of the protected file servers are stored on low-cost media such as tape, but without requiring that a system manager load large numbers of tapes.

Abstract: An Integrity Server computer for economically providing a stand-in computer, replacing a failed server of a network. The invention provides methods for re-establishing connections between clients and servers, and communicating packets between network nodes, to allow the Integrity Server to stand-in for a failed server without requiring reconfiguration of the network clients when a server fails. In one method, the Integrity Server publishes the name of the failed server, in addition to its normal name, when the failed server becomes inaccessible. In a second method, a first channel accepts network packets addressed to the failed server, and forwards them to a second channel for service.