Patent ID: 7656881

Claim:
A system comprising: a plurality of nodes that are communicatively coupled to one another, wherein each of the plurality of nodes, in the absence of any faults, is communicatively coupled to at least a first neighbor node and a first neighbor's neighbor node and a second neighbor node and a second neighbor's neighbor node; wherein when at least a first clique and a second clique exist within the plurality of nodes and a first node included in the first clique successfully receives a synchronization message associated with the second clique from the first neighbor node of the first node and the first neighbor's neighbor node of the first node, the first node: defects to the second clique; synchronizes to the synchronization message; and communicates a join message to at least the second neighbor node of the first node and the second neighbor's neighbor node of the first node, the join message indicating that the second neighbor node and the second neighbor's neighbor node should defect to the second clique and listen for a subsequent synchronization message from the second clique to which the second neighbor node and the second neighbor's neighbor node should synchronize.