Patent ID: 7051093

Claim:
A method of operating a plurality of networked computers each performing various functions comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first application computer at a first site for performing a first application task, a second computer at a second site for performing a second application task, and additional computers if and as needed for performing third and subsequent tasks at third and additional sites, each computer being coupled to the other computers via a network enabling communication between computers and each computer having a hardware unit for producing a hardware node ID identifying which node site each computer is intending to act as; (b) providing a system manager means interconnected with the computers for downloading applications software thereto and for updating software therein; (c) each computer having an application execution program having a logical node ID unique to the application to be executed by each computer at its associated site; (d) comparing the hardware node ID of the computer for each computer with the logical node ID of the application execution program therein, and should there be a mismatch, inserting a new application execution program into the computer having an appropriate logical node ID equivalent to the hardware node ID; (e) providing a network mapping means for correlating logical node IDs with appropriate associated physical site node IDs; and (f) comparing a logical node ID of an applications program in each computer with the logical node ID associated with the physical site node ID of the computer as indicated by the network mapping means, and in the event of a mismatch, inserting into the respective computer a correct applications program having an appropriate logical node ID as indicated by the network mapping means.