Patent ID: 7023870

Claim:
A method for operation of a distributed computer system (SYS) comprising network nodes (NKN, NK 1 –NK 6 ), each of which has at least one node controller (STR, ST 1 –ST 6 ) and one communication controller (KK 1 –KK 6 ), the communication controllers (KKK, KK 1 –KK 6 ) being connected to each other via at least one communication channel (BUS), and provision being made between the communication controller (KK 1 –KK 6 ) and the node controller (STR, ST 1 –ST 6 ) of a network node (NKN, NK 1 –NK 6 ) for a fault tolerance layer (FTS, FT 1 –FT 6 ) that is set up to receive messages exchanged between the network nodes (NKN, NK 1 –NK 6 ), and the fault tolerance layer (FTS, FT 1 –FT 6 ) deciding, based on information received pertaining to the status of at least one network node (NKN, NK 1 –NK 6 ), about the functioning of the at least one network node (NK 1 –NK 6 ) via a coordination procedure, wherein the coordination result is made available as an output signal (ASS, AS 1 –AS 6 ) at one or more hardware outputs of the communication controller (KKK, KK 1 –KK 6 ), and the at least one network node (NKN, NK 1 –NK 6 ) being triggered as a function of the output signal (ASS, AS 1 –AS 6 ).