Patent ID: 8438261

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving by a device of a first plurality of devices: information from a second plurality of devices, and information from other devices of the first plurality of devices, the first plurality of devices providing a plurality of first services, and the second plurality of devices providing a plurality of second services different than the plurality of first services, the information, received from the other devices, including information received from a particular device of the other devices, the information, received from the particular device, including: information identifying the particular device, and information identifying a group of services associated with the plurality of first services; determining, by the device and based on the information received from the second plurality of devices, that the second plurality of devices do not provide one of the plurality of first services; disregarding, by the device, the information received from the second plurality of devices, based on determining that the second plurality of devices do not provide the one of the plurality of first services; determining, by the device and based on the information received from the other devices of the first plurality of devices, whether the device is to function as a master for the first plurality of devices; and providing, by the device, the plurality of first services when the device functions as the master for the first plurality of devices.