Efficient replication of an expanded partial database

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable modules/components thereon for replication of a distributed database in a computer system, the computer system comprising:

• a plurality of servers;
• and
• a database distributed across the plurality of servers, the database including a plurality of objects, each object having a first attribute and a second attribute,
• each server periodically replicating values of attributes from another server thereto during a replication,
• each server maintaining an increasing update sequence number that is increased upon each revision to the attributes of the objects of the database on such server,
• each server maintaining an attribute value table that includes for each attribute of each object at such server a value of the attribute for the object, the update sequence number of such server when the value was revised,
• each server maintaining a vector table that includes for each other server from which the server replicates, the update sequence number of such other server at a time of a most recent replication from such other server,
• wherein the database at a source server includes the first attribute and the second attribute for each object,
• wherein the database at a destination server originally includes the first attribute and not the second attribute for each object, and
• wherein the database at the destination server is changed to include the first attribute and the second attribute for each object,
• the modules/components performing upon such change, the steps of:
• requesting, by the destination server from the attribute value table of the source server, the value of the second attribute for each object at such source server;
• receiving, by the destination server into the attribute value table thereof, the value of the second attribute for each object at such source server and the current update sequence number of the destination server to be associated with the value;
• requesting, by the destination server from the attribute value table of the source server, the value of the first attribute for each object at such source server, if the update sequence number of the source server associated with the value in the attribute value table of the source server is greater than the update sequence number associated with the source server in the vector table of the destination server;
• receiving, by the destination server into the attribute value table thereof, the value of the first attribute for each object at such source server, if the update sequence number of the source server is greater than the update sequence number associated with the source server in the vector table of the destination server.