Patent ID: 7739349

Claim:
A multiple computer system comprising: a plurality of computers all interconnected via a communications network; each of said plurality of computers having a local memory and each of said plurality of computers operating a corresponding different portion of an applications program written to be executed only on a single computer, said local memory of each said computer not necessarily being identical, at least some memory locations of each said computer being replicated in at least one other of said computers, and said local memory of each said computer being independent such that all memory read requests of each said computer are satisfied by reading the independent local memory of the requesting computer; and each of said plurality of computers includes a check means for checking, prior to acquiring or releasing a synchronizing lock on a specific local memory location, to determine if that memory location is replicated in the local memory of any other of said plurality of computers, said check means by-passing said lock acquisition or release only if said specific memory location is not replicated on at least one other computer.