Self-stabilizing wormhole routing

Parallel and distributed systems are composed of individual processors that communicate with one another by exchanging messages through communication links. When the sender and the receiver of a message are not direct neighbors, intermediate processors must cooperate to ensure proper routing; Wormhole routing is most common in parallel architectures in which messages are sent in small fragments called flits. We assume that each processor will contain a single fixed-size flit buffer for each incoming link. A processor must forward the flit in a given link buffer to another processor before receiving another flit on that link. This permits messages to wind through the entire network from source to destination, resembling a worm. Wormhole routing is a lightweight and efficient method of routing messages between parallel processors; Our purpose is to modify existing wormhole routing algorithms in familiar topologies to make them self-stabilizing. Self-stabilization is a technique that guarantees tolerance to transient faults (e.g. memory corruption or communication hazard) for a given protocol. Transient faults would typically place the network in an illegitimate state, while Self-stabilization guarantees that the network recovers a correct behavior in finite time, without the need for human intervention. Self-stabilization also guarantees the safety property, meaning that once the network is in a legitimate state, it will remain there until another fault occurs; This paper presents self-stabilizing network algorithms in the wormhole routing model, using the unidirectional ring and the two-dimensional mesh topologies. We chose the ring topology to illustrate the numerous difficulties of self-stabilization in a wormhole routing environment, even in one of the most simple network topologies. We then extend the results of the ring topology to a more complex two-dimensional mesh network

Self-stabilizing wormhole routing in hypercubes

Wormhole routing is an efficient technique used to communicate message packets between processors when they are not completely connected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt at designing a self-stabilizing wormhole routing algorithm for hypercubes. Our first algorithm handles all types of faults except for node/link failures. This algorithm achieves optimality in terms of routing path length by following only the preferred dimensions. In an n-dimensional hypercube, those dimensions in which source and destination address bits differ are called preferred dimensions. Our second algorithm handles topological changes. We propose an efficient scheme of rerouting flits in case of node/link failures. Similar to the first algorithm, this algorithm also tries to follow preferred dimensions if they are nonfaulty at the time of transmitting the flits. However, due to topological faults it is necessary to take non-preferred dimensions resulting in suboptimality of path selection. Formal proof of correctness for both solutions is given. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

A Survey of Layer-Two Blockchain Protocols

After the success of the Bitcoin blockchain, came several cryptocurrencies and blockchain solutions in the last decade. Nonetheless, Blockchain-based systems still suffer from low transaction rates and high transaction processing latencies, which hinder blockchains' scalability. An entire class of solutions, called Layer-1 scalability solutions, have attempted to incrementally improve such limitations by adding/modifying fundamental blockchain attributes. Recently, a completely different class of works, called Layer-2 protocols, have emerged to tackle the blockchain scalability issues using unconventional approaches. Layer-2 protocols improve transaction processing rates, periods, and fees by minimizing the use of underlying slow and costly blockchains. In fact, the main chain acts just as an instrument for trust establishment and dispute resolution among Layer-2 participants, where only a few transactions are dispatched to the main chain. Thus, Layer-2 blockchain protocols have the potential to transform the domain. However, rapid and discrete developments have resulted in diverse branches of Layer-2 protocols. In this work, we systematically create a broad taxonomy of such protocols and implementations. We discuss each Layer-2 protocol class in detail and also elucidate their respective approaches, salient features, requirements, etc. Moreover, we outline the issues related to these protocols along with a comparative discussion. Our thorough study will help further systematize the knowledge dispersed in the domain and help the readers to better understand the field of Layer-2 protocols.Comment: 21 pages, 15 figures, 2 table

Asynchronous neighborhood task synchronization

Faults are likely to occur in distributed systems. The motivation for designing self-stabilizing system is to be able to automatically recover from a faulty state. As per Dijkstra\u27s definition, a system is self-stabilizing if it converges to a desired state from an arbitrary state in a finite number of steps. The paradigm of self-stabilization is considered to be the most unified approach to designing fault-tolerant systems. Any type of faults, e.g., transient, process crashes and restart, link failures and recoveries, and byzantine faults, can be handled by a self-stabilizing system; Many applications in distributed systems involve multiple phases. Solving these applications require some degree of synchronization of phases. In this thesis research, we introduce a new problem, called asynchronous neighborhood task synchronization ( NTS ). In this problem, processes execute infinite instances of tasks, where a task consists of a set of steps. There are several requirements for this problem. Simultaneous execution of steps by the neighbors is allowed only if the steps are different. Every neighborhood is synchronized in the sense that all neighboring processes execute the same instance of a task. Although the NTS problem is applicable in nonfaulty environments, it is more challenging to solve this problem considering various types of faults. In this research, we will present a self-stabilizing solution to the NTS problem. The proposed solution is space optimal, fault containing, fully localized, and fully distributed. One of the most desirable properties of our algorithm is that it works under any (including unfair) daemon. We will discuss various applications of the NTS problem

Cost models for shared memory architectures

We address the gap between structured parallel programming and parallel architectures by formalizing a cost model for shared memory architectures. The cost model captures most of architectural details (processors, memory hierarchy, interconnection network, etc.) to evaluate the under-load shared memory access latency. Analytical and Numerical resolution techniques will be provided and compared. The former ones will be based on Queueing Theory. The latter ones will resort on Markov Chains constructed by means of the stochastic process algebra PEPA

Signaling and Reciprocity:Robust Decentralized Information Flows in Social, Communication, and Computer Networks

Complex networks exist for a number of purposes. The neural, metabolic and food networks ensure our survival, while the social, economic, transportation and communication networks allow us to prosper. Independently of the purposes and particularities of the physical embodiment of the networks, one of their fundamental functions is the delivery of information from one part of the network to another. Gossip and diseases diffuse in the social networks, electrochemical signals propagate in the neural networks and data packets travel in the Internet. Engineering networks for robust information flows is a challenging task. First, the mechanism through which the network forms and changes its topology needs to be defined. Second, within a given topology, the information must be routed to the appropriate recipients. Third, both the network formation and the routing mechanisms need to be robust against a wide spectrum of failures and adversaries. Fourth, the network formation, routing and failure recovery must operate under the resource constraints, either intrinsic or extrinsic to the network. Finally, the autonomously operating parts of the network must be incentivized to contribute their resources to facilitate the information flows. This thesis tackles the above challenges within the context of several types of networks: 1) peer-to-peer overlays – computers interconnected over the Internet to form an overlay in which participants provide various services to one another, 2) mobile ad-hoc networks – mobile nodes distributed in physical space communicating wirelessly with the goal of delivering data from one part of the network to another, 3) file-sharing networks – networks whose participants interconnect over the Internet to exchange files, 4) social networks – humans disseminating and consuming information through the network of social relationships. The thesis makes several contributions. Firstly, we propose a general algorithm, which given a set of nodes embedded in an arbitrary metric space, interconnects them into a network that efficiently routes information. We apply the algorithm to the peer-to-peer overlays and experimentally demonstrate its high performance, scalability as well as resilience to continuous peer arrivals and departures. We then shift our focus to the problem of the reliability of routing in the peer-to-peer overlays. Each overlay peer has limited resources and when they are exhausted this ultimately leads to delayed or lost overlay messages. All the solutions addressing this problem rely on message redundancy, which significantly increases the resource costs of fault-tolerance. We propose a bandwidth-efficient single-path Forward Feedback Protocol (FFP) for overlay message routing in which successfully delivered messages are followed by a feedback signal to reinforce the routing paths. Internet testbed evaluation shows that FFP uses 2-5 times less network bandwidth than the existing protocols relying on message redundancy, while achieving comparable fault-tolerance levels under a variety of failure scenarios. While the Forward Feedback Protocol is robust to message loss and delays, it is vulnerable to malicious message injection. We address this and other security problems by proposing Castor, a variant of FFP for mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs). In Castor, we use the same general mechanism as in FFP; each time a message is routed, the routing path is either enforced or weakened by the feedback signal depending on whether the routing succeeded or not. However, unlike FFP, Castor employs cryptographic mechanisms for ensuring the integrity and authenticity of the messages. We compare Castor to four other MANET routing protocols. Despite Castor's simplicity, it achieves up to 40% higher packet delivery rates than the other protocols and recovers at least twice as fast as the other protocols in a wide range of attacks and failure scenarios. Both of our protocols, FFP and Castor, rely on simple signaling to improve the routing robustness in peer-to-peer and mobile ad-hoc networks. Given the success of the signaling mechanism in shaping the information flows in these two types of networks, we examine if signaling plays a similar crucial role in the on-line social networks. We characterize the propagation of URLs in the social network of Twitter. The data analysis uncovers several statistical regularities in the user activity, the social graph, the structure of the URL cascades as well as the communication and signaling dynamics. Based on these results, we propose a propagation model that accurately predicts which users are likely to mention which URLs. We outline a number of applications where the social network information flow modelling would be crucial: content ranking and filtering, viral marketing and spam detection. Finally, we consider the problem of freeriding in peer-to-peer file-sharing applications, when users can download data from others, but never reciprocate by uploading. To address the problem, we propose a variant of the BitTorrent system in which two peers are only allowed to connect if their owners know one another in the real world. When the users know which other users their BitTorrent client connects to, they are more likely to cooperate. The social network becomes the content distribution network and the freeriding problem is solved by leveraging the social norms and reciprocity to stabilize cooperation rather than relying on technological means. Our extensive simulation shows that the social network topology is an efficient and scalable content distribution medium, while at the same time provides robustness to freeriding

Hierarchical Agent-based Adaptation for Self-Aware Embedded Computing Systems

Siirretty Doriast

Evolução de variedades topológicas da perspectiva das redes complexas

Mestrado em FísicaNeste estudo investigamos redes complexas formadas por triangulações de variedades topológicas em evolução, localmente homeomórficas a um plano. O conjunto de transformações dessas redes é restringida pela condição de que a cada passo todas as faces se mantenham triangulares. Neste trabalho adotamos duas abordagens principais. Na primeira abordagem crescemos variedades usando várias regras simples, que progressivamente adicionam novos triângulos. Na outra abordagem relaxamos a estrutura de variedades grandes, mantendo o número de triângulos constante. As redes resultantes da evolução destas triangulações demonstram várias características interessantes e inesperadas em redes planares, tais como diâmetros ”small-world” e distribuições de grau tipo lei de potência. Finalmente manipulámos a topologia das variedades pela introdução de ”wormholes”. A presença de ”wormholes” pode mudar a estrutura da rede significamente, dependendo da taxa a que são introduzidos. Se introduzirmos ”wormholes” a uma taxa constante, o diâmetro da rede apresenta um crescimento sub-logarítmico com o número de nodos do sistema.We study complex networks formed by triangulations of evolving manifolds, locally homeomorphic to a plane. The set of possible transformations of these networks is restricted by the condition that at each step all the faces must be triangles. We employed two main approaches. In the first approach we grow the manifolds using various simples rules, which progressively had new triangles. In the other approach we relax the structure of large manifolds while keeping the number of triangles constant. The networks resulting from these evolving triangulations demonstrate several interesting features, unexpected in planar networks, such as small-world diameters and power-law degree distributions. Finally, we manipulate the topology of the manifolds by introducing wormholes. The presence of wormholes can change significantly the network structure, depending on the rate at which they are introduced. Remarkably, if we make wormholes at constant rate, the network’s diameter shows a sub-logarithmic growth with the number of nodes in the system

Self-Stabilization in the Distributed Systems of Finite State Machines

The notion of self-stabilization was first proposed by Dijkstra in 1974 in his classic paper. The paper defines a system as self-stabilizing if, starting at any, possibly illegitimate, state the system can automatically adjust itself to eventually converge to a legitimate state in finite amount of time and once in a legitimate state it will remain so unless it incurs a subsequent transient fault. Dijkstra limited his attention to a ring of finite-state machines and provided its solution for self-stabilization. In the years following his introduction, very few papers were published in this area. Once his proposal was recognized as a milestone in work on fault tolerance, the notion propagated among the researchers rapidly and many researchers in the distributed systems diverted their attention to it. The investigation and use of self-stabilization as an approach to fault-tolerant behavior under a model of transient failures for distributed systems is now undergoing a renaissance. A good number of works pertaining to self-stabilization in the distributed systems were proposed in the yesteryears most of which are very recent. This report surveys all previous works available in the literature of self-stabilizing systems

Fuzzynet: Zero-maintenance Ringless Overlay

Many structured overlay networks rely on a ring invariant as a core network connectivity element. The responsibility ranges of the participating peers and navigability principles (greedy routing) heavily depend on the ring structure. For correctness guarantees, each node needs to eagerly maintain its immediate neighboring links - the ring invariant. However, the ring maintenance is an expensive task and it may not even be possible to maintain the ring invariant continuously under high churn, particularly as the network size grows. Furthermore, routing anomalies in the network, peers behind firewalls and Network Address Translators (NATs) create non-transitivity effects, which inevitably lead to the violation of the ring invariant. We argue that reliance on the ring structure is a serious impediment for real life deployment and scalability of structured overlays. In this paper we propose an overlay called Fuzzynet, which does not rely on the ring invariant, yet have all the functionalities of structured overlays. Fuzzynet takes the idea of lazy overlay maintenance further by dropping any explicit connectivity and data maintenance requirement, relying merely on the actions performed when new Fuzzynet peers join the network. We show that with sufficient amount of neighbors (O(logN), comparable to traditional structured overlays), even under high churn, data can be retrieved in Fuzzynet w.h.p. We validate our novel design principles by simulations as well as PlanetLab experiments and compare it with ring based overlays