Patent ID: 7701970

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for protocol negotiation in a group communication system, comprising the steps of: defining a first view comprising at least three communications entities and specifying a use of a first version of a communications protocol; electing by the first view one of said at least three communications entities as a view leader; conducting multi-point to multi-point communication among said at least three communications entities using said first version; detecting a requirement to change to a second version of said communications protocol; and coordinating the change under control of said view leader by exchanging among said at least three communications entities protocol messages, and responsively to said protocol messages causing each of said at least three communications entities to perform the steps of: disconnecting from said first view to define one of disconnected communications entities; forming respective second views consisting only of one of said disconnected communications entities; in said second views configuring said second views with said second version; and thereafter instantiating a third view comprising all of disconnected communications entities, and specifying a use of said second version.