Patent ID: 7356729

Claim:
A method, comprising the steps of: detecting automatically, a failure of a network element; retrieving electronically, a bootable image of the network element upon detection of the failure of the network element; and restoring the network element through employment of the bootable image; wherein a plurality of bootable images comprise the bootable image, and wherein the plurality of bootable images comprise a plurality of versions of the plurality of bootable images, and wherein the bootable image comprises a first version of the bootable image of the plurality of versions of the plurality of bootable images, and wherein the step of retrieving electronically, the first version of the bootable image of the network element upon the detection of the failure of the network element further comprises the steps of: determining a location of the first version of the bootable image; retrieving electronically, the first version of the bootable image from the location of the first version of the bootable image; employing the first version of the bootable image to restore the network element; determining a location of a second version of the bootable image of the plurality of versions of the plurality of bootable images upon failure to restore the network element through employment of the first version of the bootable image; retrieving electronically, the second version of the bootable image from the location of the second version of the bootable image; and employing the second version of the bootable image to restore the network element.