Patent ID: 7720008

Claim:
A method for determining a leading subscriber in a network comprising a plurality of network elements, which initially have identical privileges and tasks, the method comprising the following to be carried out on a first network element: randomly generating a first sequence number from a first number range; sending a first request message addressed to all network elements, the first request message being labeled with the first sequence number; receiving within a predetermined period a second request message sent by a second network element, the second request message being labeled with a second sequence number randomly generated by the second network element; comparing the first sequence number with the second sequence number, in response to the first sequence element being a greater value: generating a third sequence number from the first sequence number and within a second number range; sending a third request message addressed to the second network element, the third request message being labeled with the third sequence number; receiving within a predetermined period a fourth request message sent by the second network element, the fourth request message being labeled with a fourth sequence number generated from the second sequence number by the second network element, comparing the third sequence number with the fourth sequence number; and registering the first network element as the leading subscriber in response to the third sequence element being a greater value.