Patent ID: 7760695

Claim:
A method executable by any of a plurality of networked nodes that are logically arranged in a cluster arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of networked nodes comprises a cluster management module and wherein any one of the plurality of networked nodes is able to be configured as a master node for executing a particular command and as a slave node for responding to other networked nodes acting as the master node for other commands, the method comprising the steps of: establishing, using the cluster management module associated with a first one of the plurality of network nodes, virtual network connections between the first one of the plurality of network nodes and each of the other nodes in the cluster arrangement; receiving the particular command from a user interface module at the cluster management module associated with the first one of the plurality of networked nodes in the cluster arrangement; in response to receiving the particular command, the first one of the plurality of networked nodes acting as the master node for executing the particular command by transmitting an instruction related to the particular command from the first one of the plurality of networked nodes to each of the other nodes in the cluster arrangement via the virtual network connections; receiving responses from at least some of the other nodes in the cluster arrangement at the cluster management module associated with the first one of the plurality of networked nodes via the virtual network connections, wherein the responses indicate an effect produced by the instruction; and providing a response to the user interface module from the cluster management module associated with the first one of the plurality of networked nodes.