Patent ID: 8024531

Claim:
An information processing system comprising: (a) a plurality of memory modules, each having a memory and a control device; and (b) a data transmission path to interconnect the memory modules and to transmit data held by any one of the memory modules to other memory modules, wherein the memory of each memory module holds a value list ordered in ascending order or descending order without duplication, wherein the control device in each memory module of interest comprises i. data transmitting means to transmit storage values included in the value list held by the memory module of interest to other memory modules; ii. data receiving means to receive from the other memory modules storage values included in the value lists held by the other memory modules; and iii. representative module determining means to determine, for a storage value in the value list held by the memory module of interest, whether or not the memory module of interest is a representative module representing one or more memory modules holding the storage value based on the value lists received from the other memory modules by the data receiving means, rankings determined for the other memory modules and a ranking determined for the memory module of interest, and, if the memory module of interest is the representative module, stores information indicating that the memory module of interest is the representative module in association with the storage value, wherein the representative modules for the respective storage values in the value lists held by the plurality of memory modules are determined.