A method comprising: storing device-specific data in a first memory area of a memory of a device, wherein the first memory area is designated to store data for a consensus-based distributed database, wherein the device-specific data is to be added to the consensus-based distributed DB that is distributed among other devices in a peer-to-peer network, wherein the device-specific data includes configuration data for configuring the device, and wherein the device includes a controller in a distributed physical access control system (DPACS); adding the device to the peer-to-peer network; receiving data from the other devices in the peer-to-peer network and adding the received data to the consensus-based distributed DB by storing the received data in the first memory area; retaining the device-specific data, for configuring the device, in the device when adding the device to the peer-to-peer network, wherein retaining the device-specific data includes: copying the device-specific data from the first memory to a second memory area of the memory of the device before adding the device to the peer-to-peer network; copying the device-specific data from the second memory area to the first memory area after adding the device to the peer-to-peer network, for distributing the device-specific data as part of the consensus-based distributed DB; and distributing, after copying the device-specific data from the second memory area to the first memory area, the device-specific data to the other devices in the peer-to-peer network as part of the consensus-based distributed DB. storing device-specific data in a first memory area of a memory of a device, wherein the first memory area is designated to store data for a consensus-based distributed database, wherein the device-specific data is to be added to the consensus-based distributed DB that is distributed among other devices in a peer-to-peer network, wherein the device-specific data includes configuration data for configuring the device, and wherein the device includes a controller in a distributed physical access control system (DPACS); adding the device to the peer-to-peer network; receiving data from the other devices in the peer-to-peer network and adding the received data to the consensus-based distributed DB by storing the received data in the first memory area; retaining the device-specific data, for configuring the device, in the device when adding the device to the peer-to-peer network, wherein retaining the device-specific data includes: copying the device-specific data from the first memory to a second memory area of the memory of the device before adding the device to the peer-to-peer network; copying the device-specific data from the second memory area to the first memory area after adding the device to the peer-to-peer network, for distributing the device-specific data as part of the consensus-based distributed DB; and distributing, after copying the device-specific data from the second memory area to the first memory area, the device-specific data to the other devices in the peer-to-peer network as part of the consensus-based distributed DB. copying the device-specific data from the first memory to a second memory area of the memory of the device before adding the device to the peer-to-peer network; copying the device-specific data from the second memory area to the first memory area after adding the device to the peer-to-peer network, for distributing the device-specific data as part of the consensus-based distributed DB; and distributing, after copying the device-specific data from the second memory area to the first memory area, the device-specific data to the other devices in the peer-to-peer network as part of the consensus-based distributed DB.