Patent ID: 8370458

Claim:
A method for transmitting data from a first processor to a second processor, the method comprising: representing some or all data on said first and second processors with data structures comprising immutable blocks, wherein contents of said immutable blocks can include data and/or pointers to said immutable blocks; transmitting transfer data from said first processor to said second processor, wherein: said transfer data is represented as one or more of said data structures comprising immutable blocks, and wherein said immutable blocks of said one or more data structures are a set of transfer blocks; transmitting transfer data includes: transmitting contents of said first set of transfer blocks to said second processor; and transmitting identification of said second set of transfer blocks to said second processor; determining a first set of said transfer blocks that have not been previously defined on said second processor; determining a second set of said transfer blocks that have been previously defined on said second processor; and maintaining a system-wide labeling of said immutable blocks in a system including at least said first and second processors, including: assigning physical block IDs to said immutable blocks at a master processor; providing a mapping of virtual block IDs to said physical block IDs at said master processor; assigning temporary block IDs to said immutable blocks at one or more slave processors; and automatically and equivalently replacing said temporary block IDs with said physical block IDs and said virtual block IDs as provided by said master processor.