1

A failover process for a computer system, comprising:routing traffic from a routing device to a first server;

storing in the routing device data representing a fingerprint of the first server;

receiving periodically at the routing device a status message from the first server;

detecting at the routing device an invalid status message from the first server by absence of the fingerprint in a status message from the first server within a predetermined time period after last receiving a valid status message at the routing device; and

routing the traffic from the routing device to a second server in response to detecting the invalid status message from the first server.

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2

The method of Claim 1, wherein the detecting step further comprises comparing the status message received from the first server to the fingerprint stored on the routing device and determining that the status message is valid only if a fingerprint encoded in the status message received matches the fingerprint stored in the routing device.

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3

The method of Claim 2, further comprisingstoring in the routing device data representing a fingerprint of the second server;

receiving periodically at the routing device a status message from the second server;

detecting at the routing device an invalid status message from the second server by absence of the second server fingerprint in a status message from the second server within a predetermined time period after last receiving a valid status message at the routing device; and

routing the traffic from the routing device to the first server in response to detecting the invalid status message from the second server.

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4

The method of Claim 2, further comprising, after receiving an invalid status message from the first server, restoring a secure tunnel from the routing device to the first server in response to detecting a valid status signal from the first server.

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5

The method of Claim 4, further comprising generating the fingerprint at the first server in response to routing the traffic from the routing device to the second server.

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6

The method of Claim 1, further comprising generating the fingerprint at the first server by reading system data indicating a current system configuration of the first server.

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7

The method of Claim 6, further comprising generating the first fingerprint by encrypting at least a portion of the system data using a cryptographic key.

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8

The method of Claim 1, further comprising transmitting the status message to the routing device via a secure tunnel.

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9

A redundant server system with failover capability, comprising:a first server and a second server, each configured with a first application for serving data to multiple clients and a second application for generating periodic status messages, each status message including a server fingerprint;

a routing device in secure communication with the first server and the second server, the routing device configuredto route traffic exclusively to a primary server of the first and second servers,

to receive the status messages from the first and second servers,

to compare the server fingerprint of a status message with a server fingerprint stored on the routing device; and

to change the primary server to another of the first and second servers in response to a comparison of the primary server fingerprint yielding a mismatch prior to the change.

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10

The system of Claim 9, wherein each of the first and second servers are each configured with an application for generating a hardware fingerprint by reading server system data indicating a current system configuration.

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