A hierarchical membership protocol for synchronous distributed systems
P.D.V. van der Stok, M. M. M. P. J. Claessen, Dick Alstein · 1993
. A membership service for a synchronous distributed computer system is described. The system is assumed to be composed of groups in which a relatively frequent message exchange occurs. A hierarchy of connected groups constitutes a connected network. The membership service protocol reflects this hierarchical structure. The protocol tolerates timing, omission and crash failures. Time-bounds are specified in which additions (removals) of processors to (from) the system are known to all participating processors. keywords: membership service, distributed algorithm, fault tolerance, hierarchical system, synchronous system. 1 Introduction The construction of a service that determines the presence of correct processors in a distributed system, commonly known as the membership service, is regarded as a fundamental problem in distributed systems. Once solved, it allows the solution of many other problems based upon its availability. Three advantages of membership are: -- (i) efficie...