SERVICE CLUSTERS AND METHOD IN A PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH FAILOVER CAPABILITY

A platform for and method of computer processing to support processor failover are disclosed. A plurality of computer processors are connected to an internal communication network. A virtual local area communication network over the internal network is defined and established. Each computer processor in the virtual local area communication network has a corresponding virtual MAC address and the virtual local area network provides communication among a set of computer processors but excludes the processors from the plurality not in the defined set. A virtual storage space is defined and established with a defined correspondence to the address space of the storage network. In response to a failure by a computer processor, a computer processor from the plurality is allocated to replace the failed processor. The MAC address of the failed processor is assigned to the processor that replaces the failed processor. The virtual storage space and defined correspondence of the failed processor is assigned to the processor that replaces the failed processor. The virtual local area network is reestablished to include the processor that replaces the failed processor and to exclude the failed processor.