System and method for routing message traffic using a cluster of routers sharing a single logical IP address distinct from unique IP addresses of the routers

摘要

A router clustering system connects two or more routers to a one or more distinct Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in a complete high-availability arrangement. Typically the two or more routers connect to a plurality of ISPs at a site so that an outage of one ISP does not affect connectivity and availability to the site. The router clustering system typically includes a plurality of clustering units for redundancy that avoids difficulties that arise with a single point of failure. For example two clustering units may be used in an active-passive high-availability configuration. A router cluster creator creates or configures a router cluster. To create a router cluster, an administrator assigns to the cluster a logical Internet protocol (IP) address IPgw and specifies routers that are members of the cluster.