Abstract: In a method of configuring a plurality of computer systems coupled through a network, each computer system comprises a bootable hard disk partition and the method comprises the steps of: automatically assigning an IP node address to each computer system coupled with the network; establishing a master node and creating a re-deployment image partition; synchronizing all computer systems which should receive the re-deployment image partition; broadcasting the re-deployment image partition from the master node; receiving the re-deployment image partition at each computer system; re-booting each computer system from their respective hard disk partition.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for assigning network addresses to multiple nodes in a computer cluster. Each of the nodes in the cluster may be provided with access to a network that interconnects the various nodes of the cluster. Upon initialization of the cluster, each node, in turn, may issue a ping of one or more network addresses. If the ping does not elicit a response from any other node within the cluster, then the network address may be deemed available and the node that issued the ping may assign that network address to itself. If the ping did elicit a response from another node, then the node that issued the ping tries other network addresses until an available network address is found.