Patent ID: 8416811

Claim:
A computer program product for facilitating communication within a timing network of servers, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor for performing a method, the method comprising: operating by one server at one level of timing capability indicated by a version number, the version number indicating one or more supported timing features of the one server; obtaining by the one server at least one version number supported by another server, the at least one version number supported by the another server indicating one or more versions of timing capability supported by the another server; determining by the one server, using the obtained at least one version number supported by the another server, a negotiated version number for use in communicating with the another server, the negotiated version number indicating a compatible level of timing capability common to the one server and the another server but different from the one level of timing capability; and communicating by the one server with the another server at the compatible level of timing capability common to the one server and the another server but different from the one level of timing capability, wherein the one server operates at the one level of timing capability indicated by the version number and communicates with the another server at the compatible level of timing capability indicated by the negotiated version number.