A method for assigning identifiers in a distributed system involves establishing a circle as a locus of all identifiers, with the value of any point on the circle being the portion of one complete revolution in a first direction around the circle to the point, measured from a first zero point, and selecting...http://www.google.com/patents/US6956827?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6956827 - Distribution of identifiers in serverless networks
