Patent ID: 7761670

Claim:
A method of memory updating in a multiple computer environment in which different portions of at least one application program are each written to execute on only a single computer, each executes substantially simultaneously on a corresponding one of a plurality of computers, each having a local memory and each being interconnected via a communications network, and in which at least a content of at least one memory location is replicated in the local memory of each of said plurality of computers, and after each occasion at which any memory location with replicated content has its contents written to, or re-written, with a new content, all corresponding memory locations with replicated content in said plurality of computers are updated at a subsequent time in due course via said communications network with said new content, the method comprising: (i) prior to initially writing said new content, acquiring a lock on a memory location with replicated content, and then writing said new content, (ii) recording name(s) and updated content(s) of memory location(s) written to which is written to prior to releasing said lock, (iii) releasing said lock, and (iv) prior to permitting an acquisition of the lock by another one of said plurality of computers, transmitting the name(s) and updated content(s) thereof to said another one computer, whereby said another one computer on acquiring said lock has acquired said updated content(s) without needing to wait for said in due course updating of corresponding memory locations with replicated content in all said plurality of computers other than a computer releasing the lock.