Gaming machine with secure fault-tolerant memory

A method for maintaining fault-tolerant memory in a gaming machine, the method comprising:

• initializing a plurality of blocks in a first nonvolatile memory and a second nonvolatile memory, each of the blocks having a transaction state indicator, the transaction state indicator having a value, wherein the value indicates that the block in the first nonvolatile memory is valid, the block in the second nonvolatile memory is valid, or that the block in both the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory is valid;
• initiating a transaction, said transaction including critical data;
• upon committing the transaction, writing the critical data to the first nonvolatile memory, the data occupying one or more of the plurality of blocks in one of the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory;
• copying the critical data between the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory;
• and
• updating the value of the transaction state indicator for the one or more of the plurality of blocks.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for causing one or more processors to perform a method for maintaining fault-tolerant memory in a gaming machine, the method comprising:

• initializing a plurality of blocks in a first nonvolatile memory and a second nonvolatile memory, each of the blocks having a transaction state indicator, the transaction state indicator having a value, wherein the value indicates that the block in the first nonvolatile memory is valid, the block in the second nonvolatile memory is valid, or that the block in both the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory is valid;
• initiating a transaction, said transaction including critical data;
• upon committing the transaction, writing the critical data to a first nonvolatile memory, the data occupying one or more of the plurality of blocks in one of the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory;
• copying the critical data between the first nonvolatile memory and the second nonvolatile memory;
• and
• updating the value of the transaction state indicator for the one or more of the plurality of blocks.