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A type theory for robust failure handling in distributed systems

  • Tzu Chun Chen
  • , Malte Viering
  • , Andi Bejleri
  • , Lukasz Ziarek
  • , Patrick Eugster

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper presents a formal framework for programming distributed applications capable of handling partial failures, motivated by the non-trivial interplay between failure handling and messaging in asynchronous distributed environments. Multiple failures can affect protocols at the level of individual interactions (alignment). At the same time, only participants affected by a failure or involved in its handling should be informed of it, and its handling should not be mixed with that of other failures (precision). This is particularly challenging, as through the structure of protocols, failures may be linked to others in subsequent or concomitant interactions (causality). Last but not least, no central authority should be required for handling failures (decentralisation). Our goal is to give developers a description language, called protocol types, to specify robust failure handling that accounts for alignment, precision, causality, and decentralisation. A type discipline is built to statically ensure that asynchronous failure handling among multiple endpoints is free from orphan messages, deadlocks, starvation, and interactions are never stuck.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFormal Techniques for Distributed Objects, Components, and Systems - 36th IFIP WG 6.1 International Conference, FORTE 2016 Held as Part of the 11th International Federated Conference on Distributed Computing Techniques, DisCoTec 2016, Proceedings
EditorsElvira Albert, Ivan Lanese
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages96-113
Number of pages18
ISBN (Print)9783319395692
DOIs
StatePublished - 2016
Event36th IFIP WG 6.1 International Conference on Formal Techniques for Distributed Objects, Components, and Systems, FORTE 2016 and Held as Part of the 11th International Federated Conference on Distributed Computing Techniques, DisCoTec 2016 - Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Duration: Jun 6 2016Jun 9 2016

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume9688

Conference

Conference36th IFIP WG 6.1 International Conference on Formal Techniques for Distributed Objects, Components, and Systems, FORTE 2016 and Held as Part of the 11th International Federated Conference on Distributed Computing Techniques, DisCoTec 2016
Country/TerritoryGreece
CityHeraklion, Crete
Period06/6/1606/9/16

Keywords

  • Distributed systems
  • Partial failure handling
  • Session types

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