Patent ID: 7966391

Claim:
A decentralized network management system, comprising: a networking database module disposed at least two of a plurality of nodes of a communications network, each networking database module comprising a data repository having a plurality of networking device configuration data corresponding to a local networking device and a plurality of remotely-located peer networking devices each associated with one of the plurality of nodes, wherein the local networking device and each remotely-located peer networking device operates or manages communications for one or more networked devices at a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes according to at least a portion of the plurality of networking device configuration data; an adaptive networking module disposed at the at least two of the plurality of nodes and operable to receive actual performance data or actual security data associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of peer networking devices, each adaptive networking module further operable to generate new networking device configuration data based on the actual performance data or the actual security data and based on determining that the new networking device configuration data improves local networking device performance or security and remotely-located networking device performance or security by taking into account the plurality of networking device configuration data of both the local networking device and the plurality of remotely-located peer networking devices, wherein the new networking device configuration data is different from the plurality of networking device configuration data; and a replication module disposed at the at least two of the plurality of nodes, wherein each replication module is operable in a two-way, decentralized manner to update the plurality of networking device configuration data with the new networking device configuration data generated at or received at the corresponding node, and to transmit the new networking device configuration data generated at the corresponding node to another replication module at, at least, one other one of the plurality of nodes to synchronize the plurality of networking device configuration data for the plurality of peer networking devices between the respective nodes, wherein the local networking device or one of the remotely-located peer networking devices operates or manages communications for one or more networked devices at the corresponding one of the plurality of nodes according to the new networking device configuration data.