Patent ID: 8694647

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing replication and storage of data by processing read-only operations without storing the operations persistently in a distributed computer system being operated under a Paxos-type protocol, the computer-implemented method comprising acts of: in a distributed computing system, identifying a plurality of computer systems that serve as quorum members for storing replication data, and identifying one of the quorum members as a quorum leader designated to control process ordering for data to be replicated and stored among the quorum members; the quorum leader receiving a read-only request; the quorum leader determining an appropriate order defined by a determined execution slot for processing the read-only request, the quorum leader determining the appropriate order without clock-based synchronization by performing the following: determining a highest write request that is committed in sequence by reason of at least half the quorum members having logged the write request and having agreed to put the write request in the execution slot; and the quorum leader noting that the highest write request has been committed in sequence by at least half the quorum members; the quorum leader determining that one of the quorum members should serve as an appropriate replica that is determined to be best able to process the received read-only request; the quorum leader sending the read-only request to the determined appropriate replica; and executing the read-only request at the determined appropriate replica by processing a read-only operation of the request without storing the operation persistently.