Abstract: To synchronize time between network devices equally capable of accurately maintaining an indication of current time, one of the network devices is deemed to be a reference for time and the other network devices synchronize their indications of current time to the reference. To synchronize copies of data at multiple network devices, each network device maintains a counter representative of the passage of time but not necessarily of current time. The counter at each device is periodically synchronized with the counters of other network devices. When data is changed at a network device, the value of the counter at the time of changing is stored in association with the changed data. Stored counter values are used to determine whether a local copy or a remote copy of the data is likely more recent and therefore preferable. A further test may be applied if a counter value comparison is inconclusive.

Abstract: To synchronize time between network devices equally capable of accurately maintaining an indication of current time, one of the network devices is deemed to be a reference for time and the other network devices synchronize their indications of current time to the reference. To synchronize copies of data at multiple network devices, each network device maintains a counter representative of the passage of time but not necessarily of current time. The counter at each device is periodically synchronized with the counters of other network devices. When data is changed at a network device, the value of the counter at the time of changing is stored in association with the changed data. Stored counter values are used to determine whether a local copy or a remote copy of the data is likely more recent and therefore preferable. A further test may be applied if a counter value comparison is inconclusive.