Patent ID: 8031637

Claim:
A method for managing nodes which are members of a computing system group, the method on a member comprising: determining, on a member that has access to at least one resource within an access pool, that the member has a proper configuration for the at least one resource, wherein all members of the computing system group receive, in order, all messages directed to group members, and wherein the proper configuration comprises a configuration of the at least one resource allowing the member to become a primary member; assigning, in response to determining that the member has the proper configuration for the at least one resource, the member a first status; assigning, in response to determining that the member does not have the proper configuration for the at least one resource, the member a second status; processing within the member, when the member is assigned the first status, all messages that are transmitted to all members of the group and that affect configuration of the at least one resource; processing within the member, when the member is assigned the second status, all messages that are transmitted to all members of the group and that affect configuration of the at least one resource, wherein the configuration of the at least one resource within the member, while assigned either the first status or the second status, is adjusted based upon contents of the messages; determining, while the member is assigned the second status and in response to processing the all messages, that the member adjusted the configuration of the at least one resource into the proper configuration; and assigning, while the member is assigned the second status and in response to determining that the member adjusted the configuration of the at least one resource into the proper configuration, the member a first status.