Communication structures in fault-tolerant distributed systems

The impact of communication structures on the robustness and performance of distributed computing systems is discussed. Communication structures are categorized as (1) point-to-point, (2) bus, and (3) multistage switching. The most significant networks that have been proposed are discussed. Networks are compared with respect to (1) connectivity, (2) diameter, (3) average distance, (4) diameter in the presence of faults, (5) extensibility (ease of adding or deleting processors), and (6) ease of routing in the presence of faults. Some attempts directed at achieving near optimality for each of these six factors are discussed. A strategy for designing good networks with respect to all of these factors is suggested. Attempts to predict the real-time robustness of systems are reviewed and commented on and the power and consistency of metrics associated with such attempts are discussed. The impact of communication structures is discussed with respect to fundamental fault-tolerant objectives, such as diagnosis and disconnection of faulty units and establishment of a logical link between units not connected by a physical link. Current trends and suggested trends in communication network research are commented on. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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