Patent ID: 7752306

Claim:
A method of managing a network comprising a plurality of agents, wherein each of the plurality of agents is associated with at least one automated teller machine (ATM), the method comprising: receiving a periodic status message from each of a first group of agents selected from the plurality of agents according to a predetermined schedule; querying a router on a local portion of the network positioned to handle communications between components on the local portion of the network and components on a remote portion of the network; receiving from the router an indication of a second group of agents from the plurality of agents that are communicating through the router, wherein the second group of agents comprises agents selected from the plurality of agents that are also part of the first group of agents; comparing the first group of agents to the second group of agents; and based on the comparing, generating a list of agents communicating through the router from which periodic status messages are not being received, wherein the list of agents comprises agents that are included in the second group of agents, but not in the first group of agents.