Upgrading nodes using leader node appointment

Apparatus for use in the upgrade of nodes in a group of nodes in a data communications network, wherein the nodes in the group of nodes comprise telephony equipment, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and computer program code stored in at least one memory, the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

• select a coordinator node from the group of nodes based at least in part on the selected coordinator node having one or more properties that makes the selected coordinator node more suitable for being the coordinator node than the one or more other nodes in the group of nodes, wherein the coordinator node is responsible for selecting a leader node for the group of nodes on behalf of the group;
• receive data, by the coordinator node, relating to at least one node in the group, wherein the received data comprises one or more predetermined parameters indicating whether a given upgrade has already been applied to the at least one node in the group or the given upgrade is yet to be applied to the at least one node in the group;
• identify, by the coordinator node, one or more nodes in the group to which the given upgrade is yet to be applied, wherein the identification of the one or more nodes to which the given upgrade is yet to be applied is based at least in part on the received data;
• identify, by the coordinator node, one or more further nodes to which the given upgrade has already been applied, wherein the identification of the one or more nodes to which the given upgrade has already been applied is based at least in part on the received data;
• select a given node, by the coordinator node, from amongst the identified one or more nodes to which the given upgrade is yet to be applied as the leader node for the group, wherein the identified one or more further nodes to which the given upgrade has already been applied are disregarded for the purposes of said selecting the given node as the leader node for the group;
• and
• transmit data, by the coordinator node, indicating that the given node has been selected as the leader node, wherein the upgrade proceeds with the given node as the leader node.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions being executable by a computerized device to cause the computerized device to perform a method for use in the upgrade of nodes in a group of nodes in a data communications network, wherein the nodes in the group of nodes comprise telephony equipment, the method comprising:

• selecting a coordinator node from the group of nodes based at least in part on the selected coordinator node having one or more properties that makes the selected coordinator node more suitable for being the coordinator node than the one or more other nodes in the group of nodes, wherein the coordinator node is responsible for selecting a leader node for the group of nodes on behalf of the group;
• receiving data, by the coordinator node, relating to at least one node in the group, wherein the received data comprises one or more predetermined parameters indicating whether a given upgrade has already been applied to the at least one node in the group or the given upgrade is yet to be applied to the at least one node in the group;
• identifying, by the coordinator node, one or more nodes in the group to which the given upgrade is yet to be applied, wherein the identification of the one or more nodes to which the given upgrade is yet to be applied is based at least in part on the received data;
• identifying, by the coordinator node, one or more further nodes to which the given upgrade has already been applied, wherein the identification of the one or more nodes to which the given upgrade has already been applied is based at least in part on the received data;
• selecting a given node, by the coordinator node, from amongst the identified one or more nodes to which the given upgrade is yet to be applied as the leader node for the group, wherein the identified one or more further nodes to which the given upgrade has already been applied are disregarded for the purposes of said selecting the given node as the leader node for the group;
• and
• transmitting data, by the coordinator node, indicating that the given node has been selected as the leader node, wherein the upgrade proceeds with the given node as the leader node.