Haddock-FS

Each day we see new and more powerful mobile devices with wireless communication capabilities. These are making the concept of ad hoc networking into a viable and promising possibility for ubiquitous information sharing.

However, the inherent characteristics of ad hoc networks bring up new challenges for which most conventional distributed systems don't provide an appropriate response. Namely, the lack of a pre-existing communication infrastructure, the high topological dynamism of these networks, the low bandwidth of wireless links (when compared to fixed networks) as well as the limited storage capacity of mobile devices. These are issues that strongly affect the efficiency of any distributed system intended to support information sharing in such environments.

We propose to design and implement "Haddock-FS", a replicated peer-to-peer distributed file system for Windows CE, designed to meet the information sharing requirements imposed by ad hoc networks of info-appliances (e.g. PDAs). It is based on an anti-entropy consistency model adapted to the limited network bandwidth and device memory constraints of these environments. It also provides support for user-level control of information visibility and mobility, as well as improved consistency guarantees and performance in the presence of wireless workgroups.

Sponsoring bodies: Microsoft Research

Coordinator: Paulo Ferreira

Partners: INESC-ID and Microsoft Research

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