Patent ID: 8805978

Claim:
A computer implemented method for distributing cluster reconfiguration among multiple nodes of a cluster, the method comprising the steps of: detecting an initiation of a reconfiguration of the cluster; delegating reconfiguration functionality from a master node in the cluster to at least one slave node in the cluster; determining which at least one slave node to delegate reconfiguration functionality to based on at least one factor from a group of factors consisting of: 1) physical proximity between the at least one slave node and at least one node joining or leaving the cluster as part of the reconfiguration, 2) a performance history of the at least one slave node and 3) receiving a directive from a user specifying to which at least one slave node to delegate reconfiguration functionality, and delegating reconfiguration functionality to the at least one slave node specified by the directive from the user; and multiple nodes in the cluster performing reconfiguration functionality in parallel; wherein the at least one slave node performs delegated reconfiguration tasks that would conventionally be performed by the master node.