Patent ID: 8615591

Claim:
A method comprising: establishing a network communication session between a client and a server, wherein the server provides a lease, the lease providing exclusive use of configuration information for a predetermined period of time to the client; employing a management function on the client that internally monitors the client, the management function performing operations comprising: detecting that the network communication session exists between the client and the server; monitoring, in response to determining that the network communication session exists between the client and server, an operational status of the client; determining, while monitoring the operational status of the client, whether a condition exists with the client prior to the expiration of the lease such that the configuration information may be released for exclusive use by another client, wherein the condition is determined by performing a first test and a second test, wherein the first test comprises determining whether the client has issued a message indicating it is terminating the session, wherein the second test comprises determining whether the client is able to continue the session; monitoring, internally, messages issued by the client to the server for a message indicating that the configuration information may be released for exclusive use by the other client; determining whether the client has failed to issue the message indicating that the configuration information may be released for exclusive use by the other client; and issuing a second message, in response to determining that the client has failed to issue the message, to the server indicating that the session is to be terminated prior to the expiration of the lease and that the configuration information may be released for exclusive use by the other client.