Network station adjustable fail-over time intervals for booting to backup servers when transport service is not available

1. A method for adjusting failover intervals in a computer network, comprising:

submitting transport protocol requests to reboot to a backup server;

receiving response messages from the backup server;

determining whether the transport protocol requests were unsuccessful;

responsive to determining the transport protocol requests unsuccessful, incrementing a boot attempt counter and determining whether a delay between the transport protocol requests and the response messages exceeds a predetermined value;

responsive to determining the delay exceeds the predetermined value, selecting an increased failover acceleration factor and calculating a new failover interval from the boot attempt counter and the increased failover acceleration factor; and

submitting another transport protocol request to reboot to a backup server, after expiration of the new failover interval.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step receiving response messages from the backup server includes receiving ICMP response messages.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the failover is performed in a fault tolerant computer network.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the failover is performed by network stations booting from remote servers.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the failover is performed by network stations peer booting from another network station.

6. A computer program product on a computer storage medium for adjusting failover intervals in a computer network, comprising:

instruction for submitting transport protocol requests, to reboot, to a backup server;

instructions for receiving response messages from the backup server;

instructions for determining whether the transport protocol requests were unsuccessful;

instructions responsive to determining the transport protocol requests unsuccessful for incrementing aboot attempt counter;

instructions for determining whether a delay between the transport protocol requests and the response messages exceeds a predetermined value;

responsive to determining the delay exceeds the predetermined value, selecting an increased failover acceleration factor and calculating a new failover interval from the boot attempt counter and the increased failover acceleration factor; and

instructions for submitting another transport protocol request to reboot to a backup server, after expiration of the new failover interval.

7. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein the step submitting transport protocol requests includes:

instructions for submitting a predetermined number of requests; and

instructions for using a predetermined time-out interval between each request.

8. The computer program product according to claim 6 , wherein the step receiving response messages from the backup server includes instructions for receiving ICMP response messages.

9. The computer program product according to claim 6 , including instructions for performing the failover in a fault tolerant computer network.

10. The computer program product according to claim 6 , including instructions for performing the failover by network stations booting from remote servers.

11. The computer program product according to claim 6 , including instructions for performing the failover by network stations peer booting from another network station.

12. A system for adjusting failover intervals in a computer network comprising a plurality of processors, comprising:

means of submitting transport protocol requests, to reboot, to a backup server;

means of receiving response messages from the backup server;

means of determining whether the transport protocol requests were unsuccessful;

means responsive to determining the transport protocol requests unsuccessful for incrementing a boot attempt counter;

means of determining whether a delay between the transport protocol requests and the response messages exceeds a predetermined value;

means responsive to determining the delay exceeds the predetermined value, for selecting an increased failover acceleration factor and calculating a new failover interval from the boot attempt counter and the increased failover acceleration factor; and

means of submitting another transport protocol request, to reboot, to a backup server, after expiration of the new failover interval.