Patent ID: 8074111

Claim:
A method for responding to a failure of a failed hardware locus of a plurality of hardware loci at a communication installation; said installation including a plurality of control apparatuses distributed among said plurality of hardware loci for controlling a plurality of processes; the method comprising the steps of: (a) arranging said plurality of control apparatuses among said plurality of hardware loci: (1) to co-locate a plurality of said control apparatuses substantially at each said hardware locus; (2) to avoid co-locating respective said control apparatuses of said plurality of control apparatuses associated with a respective process of said plurality of processes at a same hardware locus; and (3) to avoid co-locating more than one respective said control apparatus in active control of any said respective process at a same hardware locus; (b) shifting control of a failed process from an initial control apparatus of said plurality of control apparatuses to an alternate control apparatus of said plurality of control apparatuses located at an alternate hardware locus other than said failed hardware locus; said failed process being a respective said process controlled by said initial control apparatus located at said failed hardware locus; (c) relocating said respective control apparatuses located at said failed hardware locus to a respective spare hardware locus of said plurality of hardware loci; neither an initial control apparatus nor an alternate control apparatus having been initially located at said respective spare hardware locus; (d) shifting control of said failed process from said alternate control apparatus to said initial control apparatus; said initial control apparatus being located at said respective spare hardware locus.