Configuration recovery after gateway failure

1. A method of managing user connection sessions with a gateway in a computer network, said method comprising the steps of:

storing user data on said gateway in response to authentication by said user;

storing user status information in a table in a RADIUS server during times that an authenticated user session is established with said gateway, said RADIUS server being on a physically separate machine than said gateway and being connected to said gateway via said computer network;

deleting said user status information from said table when said authenticated user session is terminated;

said gateway routing said user traffic in response to said user data;

detecting a failure of said gateway wherein said stored user data is lost;

said gateway sending a request to said RADIUS server to provide said user status information and user data corresponding to each user in said table;

storing said user data on said gateway; and

said gateway routing said user traffic to continue said authenticated user session in response to said user data and said user status information without requiring re-authentication following said failure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said user status information includes an IP address assigned to said user for said session.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting step is comprised of a power-up initialization.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of requesting said RADIUS server to provide said user status information and said user data is included in a boot-up sequence of said gateway.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said user data comprises a host object and a connection object.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of storing user status information in said table is delayed until a connection object is created for said user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said gateway is comprised of a service selection gateway.