Patent ID: 8086805

Claim:
In a multiple computer system including a multiplicity of computers, each of the multiplicity of computers interconnected via at least one communications network, and each executing a different portion of an application program written to execute substantially in its entirety on only a single computer, each having an independent local memory with at least one memory location being replicated in each said local memory of said multiplicity of computers; a method for handling contention in replica memory updating comprising: detecting contention; resolving said detected contention; using a modified message format and procedure in said detecting and resolving contention; consolidating data; operating a counter in a roll over manner; and performing an echo cancellation procedure, wherein said detecting contention comprises: utilizing an updating format for the signal or packet carrying out the updating, said format comprising the specific identifier of the memory location to be updated, the content with which said memory location is to be updated, and a resident updating count of the updating source, said count comprising a number indicative of the sequence of occasions on which the updating source has been updated inclusive of the current updating; storing for each replicated memory location the updating count of the previously sent or received updating; comparing the resident updating count associated with the replicated memory location to be updated with the updating count of the currently received updating signal or packet; and indicating a contention situation if the compared updating counts are the same.