Patent ID: 8429396

Claim:
A method performed by a peer node, of a plurality of peer nodes, in a network, the method comprising: performing, by the peer node, a first discovery technique for discovering local peer nodes, of the plurality of peer nodes, the first discovery technique including sending a broadcast discovery message, via a local area network, to dynamically discover the local peer nodes; performing, by the peer node, a second discovery technique for discovering remote peer nodes, of the plurality of peer nodes, the second discovery technique being different from the first discovery technique and including sending a unicast discovery message, via a wide area network, to statically discover the remote peer nodes; negotiating, by the peer node, a secure channel for exchanging state information, the peer node negotiating the secure channel with each of the local peer nodes and each of the remote peer nodes, negotiating the channel with one of the local peer nodes or one of the remote peer nodes including: offering, by the peer node and to the one of the local peer nodes or the one of the remote peer nodes one or more forms of secure communication to be used to exchange the state information, and determining, by the peer node, whether the peer node and the one of the local peer nodes or the one of the remote peer nodes support a common form of secure communication based on offering the one or more forms of secure communication, establishing, by the peer node, the secure channel using the common form of secure communication when the peer node and the one of the local peer nodes or the one of the remote peer nodes support the common form of secure communication, establishing, by the peer node, an unsecure channel between the peer node and the one of the local peer nodes or the one of the remote peer nodes when the peer node and the one of the local peer nodes or the one of the remote peer nodes do not support the common form of secure communication; and exchanging the state information over the secure channel or the unsecure channel.