Distributed Name Assignment in Computer Networks

Abstract In this paper we consider the problem of dynamically assigning names to users or devices in a computer network. We present a distributed algorithm that permits a new user to select his own name and, through communication with a name-server node, to ensure that his name is unique throughout the network. The algorithm permits names to be assigned even in the presence of node or link failures as long as a majority of the name-server nodes remain within a single connected component.