Patent ID: 7761550

Claim:
A method of configuring a first agent for operation on a network with a host computer comprising at least one processor and operatively associated electronic memory, wherein the first agent is associated with at least one automated teller machine (ATM), the method comprising: receiving with the host computer a periodic status message from each of a first group of agents selected from a plurality of agents according to a predetermined schedule; with a host computer, querying a router on a local portion of the network positioned to handle communications between components on the local portion of the network and components on a remote portion of the network; receiving from the router, with the host computer, an indication of a second group of agents selected from the plurality of agents that are communicating through the router; comparing, with the host computer, the first group of agents to the second group of agents; generating, with the host computer, a list of agents communicating through the router from which periodic status messages are not being received; determining with the host computer if a first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within a predetermined amount of time, wherein the determining is based on retrieving implementation data comprising a list of agents and corresponding scheduled activation dates, and wherein the first agent is selected from the list of agents communicating through the router for which periodic status messages are not being received; if the first agent is scheduled to become active on the network within the predetermined amount of time, configuring the first agent with the first computer to send periodic status messages to the host computer according to a predetermined schedule.