Patent ID: 8547879

Claim:
A method for initializing a collaborative communication system, comprising: initializing a media switch as a master media switch configured to read a configuration file to determine a list of services to be loaded by the media switch and configured to perform at least one function not performed by other endpoints; loading a media switch service; determining if other services are to be loaded; if it is determined that other services are to be loaded in a distributed configuration, then loading the other services sequentially via the media switch by reading the configuration file to determine a list of services that should be loaded locally from services available in a local domain and by ensuring the first service to connect is an authentication service that is accepted from at least one trusted endpoint address; wherein loading the other services comprises loading a presence service which maintains information on all endpoints associated with the media switch via an endpoint locator service that is running before the initializing of the media switch and before any of the other services are loaded; wherein the presence service maintains information comprising at least one of entity availability that indicates a service's ability to accept connections or entity type that indicates one or more services offered by an endpoint, and wherein the presence service is configured to publish its own presence with itself when loaded, and is further configured to attempt an additional attachment as a master presence service that is awarded to the first presence service that attempts to be the master presence service, wherein the master presence service is configured to provide synchronized access information to shared data elements.