Patent ID: 8135859

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for cooperatively managing network services in the absence of a designated network services manager, comprising: on a first computing device identifying cooperative members on a network; if other cooperative members exist, obtaining at least one parameter of shared network services from a representative designated by the other cooperative members, wherein the representative is one of the other cooperative members, else designating the first computing device as a representative, and on the first computing device creating the at least one parameter of the shared network services; wherein the shared network services comprise addressing and naming services that are implemented without the designated network services manager, wherein the parameter comprises a network address parameter comprising a randomly chosen number within a position of the network address parameter; wherein the network address parameter is used by each of the cooperative members on the network to allocate and create network addresses for themselves and for clients connected to them; wherein each of the cooperative members use the randomly chosen number within their address; when a new member joins the network, automatically negotiating between the representative and the new member to determine when the new member is designated as at least one of: the representative and an additional representative; updating the at least one parameter of the shared network services when the new member joins the network; updating the at least one parameter of the shared network services when a member leaves the network; and sharing the updated parameter with other members in the network.