Patent ID: 7260818

Claim:
A version management system having a processor, said system, comprising: a plurality of application programs interfaces (APIs) for allowing components running on a plurality of nodes to inter-operate in a distributed computer network system; a plurality of specification files associated with each of the plurality of nodes, each of said plurality of specification files comprising a set of software versions supported by said version management system and storing specification defining information unique to versioned protocols utilized by said plurality of nodes; wherein the specification files are grouped according to a mode specified therewith, the mode selected from a node mode, a node-pair mode, a cluster mode and a mode distinct from the node, node-pair and cluster modes; a query interface for allowing said components in said distributed computer network system to specify a current running version of software said component requires; registration logic for allowing said components to register for said software version upgrade when said current running version of said versioned protocol changes; a custom interface for allowing said components to determine a choice of running version; and compare logic for enabling said version management system to compare said specification files in a cluster node environment to determine the version information of said versioned protocol that is active in a node.