A Software Implemented Fault-Tolerance Layer for Reliable Computing on M assively Parallel Computers and Distributed Computing Systems
Gavin Holland, Dhiraj K. Pradhan · 2001
A novel architecture for a software-implemented fault-tolerance layer for application reliability on massively parallel computers and distributed computing systems is proposed. This is the first attempt at providing a purely softwarebased, user-level solution for fault detection, reconfiguration, and recovery in a parallel environment. The symmetrically distributed, multi-tiered layer envelopes user applications, enabling it to perform fault-tolerance related actions apart from, and transparent to the application. It's modular design enables dynamic runtime selection of the most appropriate fault-tolerant algorithm, and is, therefore, not restricted to one particular fault-tolerant method. Performance and coverage measurements of a minimal implementation of the proposed layer are presented, and indicate that user-level software-implemented fault-tolerance is realistically doable and reasonably efficient and effective.