Patent ID: 6973533

Claim:
A method for communicating among a plurality of processing units, said processing units respectively unconnected to each other, said processing units each separately coupled to at least one separate data storage device, said data storage devices respectively unconnected to each other, said data storage devices each having a buffer, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, at one of said separate data storage devices, a “broadcast” command from one of said processing units, said command accompanied by a message; storing said received accompanying message in said buffer in said one data storage device; forwarding, from said one data storage device, a “message ready” signal to at least another of said processing units than said one processing unit; receiving, at said one data storage device, “read message” commands sent from said at least another processing unit; and supplying, from said one data storage device in response to each said received “read message” command, said message stored in said buffer to said sending processing unit.