Patent ID: 7054910

Claim:
In a computer network having a plurality of nodes, a file replication system comprising: means, distributed on each of said nodes, capable of receiving an updated file in any one of said nodes; means, distributed throughout said plurality of nodes and responsive to receiving said file in a certain one of said nodes, for replicating said updated file in all other of said nodes in a manner that is network-topology independent and avoids a single point of failure; wherein said certain one of said nodes is the originator node and said replicating means further comprises: means for establishing another of said nodes as master node, said plurality of nodes except for both said originator node and said master node being slave nodes; means for storing said updated file on said master node as a backup file; and, in each of said slave nodes, means for updating a particular file corresponding to said updated file; means for associating a file version variable with said updated file; said storing means comprising: local workspace means for receiving said updated file in said master node; means for error checking said file version variable to confirm validity of said file version variable; global workspace means adapted to receive said updated file from said local workspace means; and, means, responsive to operation of said error checking means confirming said validity, for transferring said updated file to said global workspace means; and, means, responsive to operation of said transferring means, for communicating both creation of said backup file to said originator node and availability of said backup file to said slave nodes.