A high reliability computer system includes a first processing engine (PE), a
first
memory and a third memory both accessible by the first PE, a second PE, and a second
memory and a fourth memory both accessible by the second PE. The first memory contains
initialization information for the first PE. The third memory has a location for
storing an enable password or a surrogate therefor for the first PE. The second
memory contains initialization information for the second PE. The computer system
also includes circuitry for switching control of the system from the first PE to
the second PE upon detection of a failure of the first PE, and a password passer
writing the enable password or a surrogate therefor of the first PE to the fourth
memory. Alternatively, a network system includes an authentication, authorization
and accounting (AAA) or any other password server having a database for maintaining
an enable password for a high reliability computer system. The high reliability
computer system includes an interface capable of communicating with the password
server over an information bus. The interface obtains the enable password from
the password server in response to a request from either one of the first and second PEs.
