# US 8,150,905 B2 · Process configuration in a network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,150,905 B2 - Document ID: US8150905B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/883,538 - Filed: 2006-02-06 - Published: 2008-06-19 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2005-02-15 - Assignees: British Telecommunications plc - Inventors: Paul F McKee; Michael A Fisher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8150905B2 ## CPC - H04L 41/12: Discovery or management of network topologies - H04L 9/40: Network security protocols - H04L 41/0663: Performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements - H04L 41/0823: characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability (for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02) - H04L 41/0826: for reduction of network costs (H04L41/0833 takes precedence) - H04L 41/5058: {Service discovery by the service manager} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A network is configured or made configurable to provide a process exploiting services distributed among nodes of the network by means of a step-by-step search, the search for one service starting at a node providing a previous service. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of configuring a network for a process, in which the network comprises a plurality of nodes for providing services and in which the process comprises a plurality of the services, the method comprising: starting from a first node, searching the network for nodes suitable for providing a first one of the required services; starting from the node or nodes identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing the first service, searching for nodes suitable for providing a second one of the required services; repeating the search for each remaining required service, starting each time from the identified node or nodes suitable for providing the previous required service until nodes suitable for providing all the required services are located; obtaining information on connections between the or each selected node suitable for providing one of the required services and the or each node identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing a next required service; and selecting at least one node suitable for providing the next required service on the basis of the node information and connection information obtained for that node. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 including obtaining information on the nodes identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing the first service and selecting on the basis of the node information at least one node suitable for providing the first service. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2 including obtaining information on connections between the first node and the nodes identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing the first service and selecting on the basis of the node information and connection information at least one node suitable for providing the first service. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2 in which the search for nodes suitable for providing the second service is started from the or each selected node suitable for providing the first service. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 including obtaining information on the nodes identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing each of the required services and selecting on the basis of the node information at least one node suitable for providing each of the required services. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as claimed in claim 5 in which the search for nodes suitable for providing a next one of the required services is started from the or each of the selected nodes suitable for providing the previous service. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 including identifying a plurality of paths through the network, each path comprising nodes suitable for providing at least some of the required services and connections between the nodes, evaluating the nodes and connections in each of the paths and selecting on the basis of the evaluation one or more paths for providing the process. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7 including deselecting duplicated paths so that not all of the nodes identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing the required services comprised in one selected path are comprised in another selected path. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7, 8) The method as claimed in claim 7 in which the method steps set out in claim 8 are executed at an intermediate stage in the searching. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7 including keeping information on deselected paths and in the event of a failure in a selected path replacing that path with an appropriate deselected path. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2 including keeping information on the identified nodes suitable for providing the required services not selected by the means for selecting and in the event of a failure of a selected node replacing that node with an appropriate not selected node in which failure of a node includes failure of a connection to that node. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 in which a node is suitable for providing a service if that service is active on the node. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 in which a node is suitable for providing a service if that service is inactive on the node but capable of being activated on the node. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 in which a node is suitable for providing a service if that service is not present on the node but capable of being downloaded to and activated on the node. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 in which the nodes form part of a computing grid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 including searching the network by use of a bounded echo algorithm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1 including stopping the search for at least one of the required services on finding a set number of nodes suitable for providing that service. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method as claimed in claim 16 including using the bounded echo algorithm for processing the information and returning an ordered list of selected nodes to the first node. ### Claim 19 A network for providing a process requiring a plurality of services, in which the network comprises a plurality of nodes for providing the services; in which the network comprises: means for searching the network starting from a first node for nodes suitable for providing a first one of the required services; means for searching the network starting from the node or nodes suitable for providing the first service identified as a result of the search, for nodes suitable for providing a second one of the required services; means for searching the network for each remaining required service, starting each time from the node or nodes suitable for providing the previous required service identified as a result of the search; and means for obtaining information on connections between the or each selected node suitable for providing one of the required services and the or each node identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing a next required service; in which the means for selecting are arranged to select at least one node suitable for providing the next required service on the basis of the node information and connection information obtained for that node. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 comprising means for obtaining information on the identified nodes suitable for providing the first service and means for selecting from the identified nodes on the basis of the node information at least one node suitable for providing the first service. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 comprising means for obtaining information on connections between the first node and the nodes providing the first required service and means for selecting on the basis of the node information and connection information at least one node suitable for providing the first service. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 in which the search for nodes suitable for providing the second service is started from the or each selected node suitable for providing the first service. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 comprising means for obtaining information on the identified nodes suitable for providing the required services and means for selecting on the basis of the node information at least one node suitable for providing each of the required services. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 in which the means for searching for nodes suitable for providing a next one of the required services is arranged to start from the or each selected node suitable for providing the previous required service. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 including selection means for identifying a plurality of paths through the network each path comprising nodes suitable for providing at least some of the required services and connections between the nodes, and for evaluating the nodes and connections in each of the paths and for selecting on the basis of the evaluation one or more paths to provide the process. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The network as claimed in claim 25 in which the selection means is arranged to deselect duplicated paths so that not all of the nodes identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing the required services comprised in one selected path are comprised in another selected path. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The network as claimed in claim 25 in which the selection means is arranged to execute at least one of the selection and deselection at an intermediate stage in the searching. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The network as claimed in claim 25 in which the selection means is arranged to keep information on deselected paths and in the event of a failure in a selected path to replace that path with an appropriate deselected path. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The network as claimed in claim 25 in which the selection means is arranged to keep information on the identified nodes suitable for providing the required services not selected by the means for selecting and in the event of a failure of a selected node to replace that node with an appropriate not selected node in which failure of a node includes failure of a connection to that node. ### Claim 30 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 in which a node is suitable for providing a service if that service is active on the node. ### Claim 31 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 in which a node is suitable for providing a service if that service is inactive but capable of being activated on the node. ### Claim 32 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 in which a node is suitable for providing a service if that service is not present on the node but is capable of being downloaded to and activated on the node. ### Claim 33 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 in which the nodes form part of a computing grid. ### Claim 34 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 comprising means for searching the network by use of bounded echo algorithm. ### Claim 35 (depends on 19) The network as claimed in claim 19 in which the means for searching is arranged to stop the search for at least one of the required services on finding a set number of nodes suitable for providing that service. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The network as claimed in claim 34 in which the means for selecting is arranged to use the echo algorithm to process the information and return an ordered list of selected nodes to the first node. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) A computer-readable non-transient storage medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to operate in accordance with the method steps of claim 1.