The invention relates to configuration of IP telephony and other systems. The present specification provides a system for the configuration of multiple devices on a local network. The system can permit configuration by unskilled personnel. The configuration is resilient in that the devices can cooperate to preserve configurations for devices which are temporarily removed. The system includes a local configuration server which will restore the configuration of previously configured devices as they return to the network, or assist newly connected devices in obtaining initial configuration. The local configuration server can be a component of an already existing end user device, or can be a separate entity, and can be elected from the set of all so capable devices present in the network. The currently active local configuration server can be configured to distribute current data to other devices capable of serving as the local configuration server in the network, for resiliency, in caseof failure or disconnection and to allow for a new device to be elected. For resiliency across power failures and other causes of local network failure, a network-based aggregator is also described.