Patent ID: 8095616

Claim:
A multiple computer system that detects memory contention, the multiple computer system comprising: 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 on a single computer, each having an independent local memory with at least one memory location being replicated in each said local memory, and a system for detecting contention in replica memory updating; said multiple computer system further comprising: at least one memory location having a specific location identifier and replicated on at least two machines, and updated to remain substantially similar upon occasion of a machine modifying its replica value; said independent local memories each being configured to be read only by its corresponding computer such that all read requests by each said computer are satisfied by reading only from the independent local memory of the requesting computer; a plurality of sources each of which can update said memory location(s) and each of which utilizes 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; storage means associated with each said memory location and in which the updating count of the previously received updating is stored; comparison means to compare the previously stored updating count with the updating count of the currently received updating signal or packet; and contention indicating means connected with said comparison means and operable to indicate a contention situation if the compared updating counts are the same.