Patent ID: 8676878

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: by a device: comparing, each time the device receives data describing a capability of another device associated with an interoperable domain, a capability of the device with the capability of the other device; determining whether the device has a highest capability among the devices associated with the interoperable domain, based on comparing the capability of the device with the capability of the other device; and designating the device as a master device of the interoperable domain based on determining that the device has the highest capability, the master device comprising a controller that is responsible for: receiving a request from a client, checking, in response to the received request from the client, whether the client is located in a local area, and issuing, to the client, based on determining that the client is located in the local area, a first credential which verifies that the client is located in the local area, wherein the client submits, to a domain manager of the interoperable domain, any one of the first credential issued by the controller and a second credential issued by the domain manger to join the interoperable domain, the first credential verifying that the client is located in the local area, and including a controller membership verifying the controller and a client membership given to the client, the second credential being issued by a domain manager when the interoperable domain is generated, the second credential comprising the client membership given to the client and explicit domain credential provided by the domain manager, wherein the domain manager determines that the client is in a local status or a remote status based on determining whether the credential submitted by the client is the first credential or the second credential.