1. A method of maintaining multiple copies of a body of data organized into records of related fields, said method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: determining whether a record within said body of data is updated at a first site; in response to determining that the record was updated, propagating, to a second site, small values in place of at least one of actual old values and actual new values associated with said related fields of said updated record; and determining whether a conflict exists within a corresponding record at said second site based on said propagated small values and said propagated actual old values; and if said conflict does not exist, then updating said corresponding record based on at least said propagated small values and said propagated actual new values.