Gaming system with failover and takeover capability

Abstract

Managing failover and takeover of a game session in a computerized gaming system adapted for operating a plurality of client gaming machine terminals communicatively coupled to one of a plurality of game application servers, comprising: sending a request of a game session from a client gaming machine to a first game application server; determining in the client gaming machine non-responsiveness to the request; re-transmitting the request from the client gaming machine to a second game application server; constructing the game session state in the second game application server; processing the request in the second game application server; and sending a response dependent on the request from the game application server to the client gaming machine.

1 . A method of operating a computerized gaming system comprising a client gaming machine, a first group of one or more game application servers operatively coupled to a first database storage structure and a second group of one or more game application servers operatively coupled to a second database storage structure, the method comprising:
 upon establishing between the client gaming machine and a first game application server from the first group a game session associated with a game session identity code, associating data generated in relation to operating the game session with the game session identity code, thus giving rise to game session data, and continuously storing the game session data in the first database storage structure;   receiving, by a second game application server of the second group, a connection request issued responsive to receiving data indicative of an incapability of the first game application server to respond to a game request sent by the client gaming machine during operating the game session, the connection request is associated with the game session identity code;   requesting, by the second game application server from the second database storage structure, game session data corresponding to the game session identity code associated with the connection request;   requesting, by the second database storage structure from the first database storage structure, game session data corresponding to the game session identity code associated with the connection request received by the second game application server;   using game session data corresponding to the game session identity code to determine, by one of the first database storage structure and the second database storage structure, if the game session meets a takeover criteria; and   when the game session meets the takeover criterion, taking over the game session by the second database storage structure and forwarding game session data received from the first database storage structure and associated with the game session identity code to the second game application server for reconstructing the game session by the second game application server.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising issuing, by one of the first database storage structure, the second database storage structure and the second game application server, a notification to the first game application server that the game session has been taken over by the second application server. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising: responsive to receiving the notification, removing by the first game application server any cached data related to the game session data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein data indicative of an incapability of the first game application server to respond to a request sent by the client gaming machine are received by the first game application server from a load balancer operatively connected to the client machine, to the first game application server and to the second game application server. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the incapability of the first game application is determined in accordance with predetermined receiving condition is related to at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of:
 time of response from the first game application server;   status parameter; and   quality of response from the first game application server.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game session data comprise data indicative of the client gaming machine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game session progresses in game rounds driven by game round events, and game session data comprise data associated with each of the game round events and defining the game results. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein data associated with a game round are selected from a group consisting of data indicative of a bet value corresponding to the game round, data indicative of a generated random number corresponding to the game round and data indicative of a win value corresponding to the game round, data indicative of game session event history and game configuration information. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game session is reconstructed so that the reconstructed game session is characterized by the same result, outcome and output as the original game session. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game session does not meet the takeover criterion when there is an on-going processing related to the connection request in at least one of: the first game application server and the first database storage structure. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second game application server is selected by a load balancer operatively connected to the first group and the second group of the game application servers, the selecting provided in accordance with predetermined priority rules. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising issuing, by the client gaming machine, a reconnect voucher when the game session does not meet the takeover criterion because of a game session interruption, the reconnect voucher comprising data indicative of a reconnect identity code associated with the game session identity code. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 using the reconnect voucher for initializing a reconnect request from the client machine to the first game application server and/or the second game application server; 
 responsive to the reconnect request, retrieving by a respective game application server data associated with the game session identity code corresponding to respective reconnect identity code, the data stored in the first database storage structure prior to the game session interruption; 
 reconstructing, by the respective game application server, the game session up to a point of interruption. 
 
     
     
         14 . A computerized gaming system comprising a client gaming machine operatively coupled to a first group of one or more game application servers operatively coupled to a first database storage structure and to a second group of one or more game application servers operatively coupled to a second database storage structure, wherein:
 the client gaming machine is configured:
 to establish a game session with a first game application server from the first group and to continuously store the game session data in the first database storage structure, wherein the game session is associated with a game session identity code, and wherein the game session data comprise data generated in relation to operating the game session and are associated with the game session identity code; and 
 when the first game application server is incapable to respond to a game request sent by the client gaming machine during operating the game session, to issue to a second game application server of the second group a connection request associated with the game session identity code; 
   the second game application server is configured to request from the second database storage structure, responsive to the connection request received from the client gaming machine, game session data corresponding to the game session identity code associated with the connection request;   the second database storage structure is configured to:
 request from the first database storage structure game session data corresponding to the game session identity code associated with the connection request received by the second game application server; 
 use game session data corresponding to the game session identity code to determine if the game session meets a takeover criteria; and 
 when the game session meets the takeover criterion, to take over the game session from the first database storage structure and to forward game session data received from the first database storage structure and associated with the game session identity code to the second game application server for reconstructing the game session by the second game application server. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first game application server is configured to remove any cached data related to the game session data responsive to receiving the notification that the game session has been taken over by the second application server, the notification issued by one of: the first database storage structure, the second database storage structure and the second game application server. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the client gaming machine is further configured to issue a reconnect voucher when the game session does not meet the takeover criterion because of a game session interruption, the reconnect voucher comprising data indicative of a reconnect identity code associated with the game session identity code. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of database servers organised in at least one of: the first database storage structure and the second database storage structure. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operating a computerized gaming system comprising a client gaming machine, a first group of one or more game application servers operatively coupled to a first database storage structure and a second group of one or more game application servers operatively coupled to a second database storage structure, the operating comprising:
 upon establishing between the client gaming machine and a first game application server from the first group a game session associated with a game session identity code, associating data generated in relation to operating the game session with the game session identity code, thus giving rise to game session data, and continuously storing the game session data in the first database storage structure;   receiving, by a second game application server of the second group, a connection request issued responsive to receiving data indicative of an incapability of the first game application server to respond to a game request sent by the client gaming machine during operating the game session, the connection request is associated with the game session identity code;   requesting, by the second game application server from the second database storage structure, game session data corresponding to the game session identity code associated with the connection request;   requesting, by the second database storage structure from the first database storage structure, game session data corresponding to the game session identity code associated with the connection request received by the second game application server;   using game session data corresponding to the game session identity code to determine, by one of the first database storage structure and the second database storage structure, if the game session meets a takeover criteria; and   when the game session meets the takeover criterion, taking over the game session by the second database storage structure and forwarding game session data received from the first database storage structure and associated with the game session identity code to the second game application server for reconstructing the game session by the second game application server.