Patent ID: 8325924

Claim:
A system to maintain a set of keys of a group, the system comprising: a plurality of domain controllers, each domain controller being a hardware server machine, wherein each of said domain controllers administers a domain that includes a group, and wherein each of said domain controllers stores: a container associated with said group, said container storing: a plurality of keys that includes a first key; information that states or implies a first expiration date for said first key; and metadata that indicates that said first key is a current key for said group; said domain controllers being connected to a plurality of clients that are set to create a new key when there is T time, or less, remaining before said first expiration date, said plurality of clients including a first client and a second client said first domain client using a value of T that is equal to a first amount of time, said second client using a value of T that is equal to a second amount of time, said first amount of time being different from said second amount of time.