A method for producing a set of optimized node placement solutions for plural nodes of a computer network includes temporarily relocating movable ones of the nodes in the network; for each temporarily relocated movable node, determining a thermal energy of the network resulting from its temporary relocation in the network; for each temporarily relocated movable node, determining a potential energy reduction in the network resulting from its temporary relocation in the network; for each temporarily relocated movable node, determining whether to accept or reject its temporary relocation in the network; accepting the temporary relocation if an acceptance probability is greater than a randomly generated number, the acceptance probability being a function of the potential energy reduction in the network; and repeating the aforementioned steps to generate a set of optimized node placement solutions.