Patent ID: 7599305

Claim:
A method of establishing communications between a first node and a second node in a system comprising a plurality of nodes, the method comprising steps of: initiating an interaction between the first node and the second node, the interaction being determined by a request from the first node for a service that the second node provides in the system; responsive to initiating the interaction, evaluating an interoperability capability configured for the first node and an interoperability capability configured for the second node; negotiating, between the first node and the second node, based on the evaluating, to a level of interoperability capability that is available to both the first node and the second node, the negotiating being conducted directly by the first node and the second node; and responsive to the negotiating, automatically adjusting a level of communication within at least one of the first node and the second node to the available level of interoperability capability in performing the interaction between the first node and the second node.