Patent ID: 8150905

Claim:
A method of configuring a network for a process, in which the network comprises a plurality of nodes for providing services and in which the process comprises a plurality of the services, the method comprising: starting from a first node, searching the network for nodes suitable for providing a first one of the required services; starting from the node or nodes identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing the first service, searching for nodes suitable for providing a second one of the required services; repeating the search for each remaining required service, starting each time from the identified node or nodes suitable for providing the previous required service until nodes suitable for providing all the required services are located; obtaining information on connections between the or each selected node suitable for providing one of the required services and the or each node identified as a result of the search as suitable for providing a next required service; and selecting at least one node suitable for providing the next required service on the basis of the node information and connection information obtained for that node.