Patent ID: 7490089

Claim:
In at least one computer, which is at least one of multiple computers in a cluster having access to a shared storage system, a method of facilitating access to the shared storage system comprising: maintaining a list identifying which of the multiple computers are members of the cluster having access to the shared storage system; communicating with the multiple computers in the cluster i) via use of a network supporting communications from the multiple computers amongst each other, and ii) through accesses to the shared storage system to which each of the computers in the cluster have access; initiating a modification to members included in the cluster based upon communications over the network and through the shared storage system; periodically reading a designated location in shared storage system to identify a request by a first computer not in the cluster to join the cluster, the request including a unique identifier written by the first computer to the designated location; and refraining the at least one computer from writing over the unique identifier in the designated location to indicate that the request by the first computer to join the cluster has been granted.