Abstract: Communication occurs between at least one server and a plurality of clients. Client-side connections are established between a traffic manager and clients, in response to clients making requests to communicate with a server. Server-side connections are created and maintained between the traffic manager and the server in order to service the client requests. At least one of the server-side connections is reused to service a client request.

Abstract: Flow of data traffic between at least one server and a plurality of clients is managed. Client-side connections are provided and server-side connections are provided. An isolated processing environment is created responsive to instructions specific to the environment. Isolated environment specific instructions are received, defining a traffic management rule. A request from a client, via an established client-side connection, is received and a response is made following the environment specific instructions.

Abstract: Failures are tolerated in an environment in which a plurality of traffic management systems are coordinated to manage the supply of data to and from a plurality of clients via a plurality of network addresses. Each functional traffic management system is responsible for at least one network address, and each functional traffic management system periodically transmits a signal to each of the other traffic management systems to confirm functionality. Each of the traffic management systems creates and maintains configuration data that specifies the responsibility of traffic management systems for network addresses dependent upon the status of each of the traffic management systems. Each of the traffic management systems responds to a failure of any of the traffic management systems by taking responsibility for certain network addresses as prescribed by the configuration data.