Patent ID: 7743123

Claim:
A method performed by devices of a cluster and an aggregator device for collecting a configuration parameter from the devices of the cluster, the method comprising: for each device of the cluster from which the configuration parameter is to be collected, dividing into shares, wherein each share is a numeric value, by that device the configuration parameter that is to be collected from that device such that a summation of the divided shares equals the configuration parameter to be collected from that device; and sending each share from that device to a different device of the cluster, such that each of the different devices receives only one share of that device; for each device of the cluster to which shares were sent, receiving by that device the shares from other devices; totaling by that device the received shares such that the total is a summation of the received shares; and sending the total of the received shares from that device to the aggregator device; and at the aggregator device of the cluster, receiving the totals from each of the devices of the cluster that totaled the shares; and adding the totals received from each of the devices to generate an aggregation of the configuration parameter collected from the devices of the cluster.