Run-Time Switching Between Total Order Algorithms

J. Mocito and L. Rodrigues

Proceedings of the Euro-Par 2006, Dresden, Germany, August 2006. (accepted for publication).

Abstract

Total order broadcast protocols are a fundamental building block in the construction of many fault-tolerant distributed applications. Unfortunately, total order is an intrinsically expensive operation. Moreover, there are certain algorithms that perform better in specific scenarios and given network properties. This paper proposes and evaluates an adaptive protocol that is able to dynamically commute between different total order algorithms. The protocol allows to achieve the best possible performance, by selecting, in each moment, the algorithm that is most appropriate to the present network conditions. Experimental results show that, using our protocol, adaptation can be achieved with negligible interference with the data flow.

Also available extended report (pdf) .


Luís Rodrigues