A method and system in a routing network sends a request for the performance of a task from an originating node in a routing system to nodes having an interface connection with the originating node. Upon receiving a response to the request from the one or more nodes, one or more of the nodes is selected to perform the task. Any node included in the network can comprise an originating node, and the steps of sending and selecting are performed substantially automatically. A preferential order of nodes automatically and dynamically maintained in dependence on the performance of task(s) by the nodes.