An Experiment in Distributed Interpretation

Abstract : The range of application areas to which distributed processing has been applied is limited. In order to extend this range, new models for organizing distributed systems must be developed. We present a new model, in which the distributed system is able to function effectively even though processing nodes have inconsistent and incomplete views of the data bases necessary for their computations. This model differs from conventional approaches in its emphasis on dealing with distribution-caused uncertainty and errors in control, data, and algorithm as an integral part of the network problem-solving process. We show how this new model can be applied to the problem of distributed interpretation. Experimental results with an actual interpretation system support these ideas.