Performance engineering of group communication protocols
R.K. Budhia, Peter Michael Melliar-Smith · 1997
Performance Engineering of Group Communication Protocols by Ravi K. Budhia Many complex applications can benefit from distributed systems based on multiple computers interconnected by a communication network. Distributed systems use inexpensive high-performance computers and can be configured to closely match the needs of the application. Information can be replicated on several processors to improve performance and to provide fault tolerance. However, programming distributed applications is difficult, particularly when replicated information is being updated and must remain consistent in the presence of faults. Providing a total order on packets ensures that the same updates will be performed in the same order at the different application processes, allowing the application programmer to concentrate on the application rather than on the underlying communication protocols. In the past, total-ordering protocols have exhibited poor performance. Proper engineering of such protocols can a...