Elements Of Distributed Computing

Elements of Distributed Computing

A lucid and up-to-date introduction to the fundamentals of distributed computing systems As distributed systems become increasingly available, the need for a fundamental discussion of the subject has grown. Designed for first-year graduate students and advanced undergraduates as well as practicing computer engineers seeking a solid grounding in the subject, this well-organized text covers the fundamental concepts in distributed computing systems such as time, state, simultaneity, order, knowledge, failure, and agreement in distributed systems. Departing from the focus on shared memory and synchronous systems commonly taken by other texts, this is the first useful reference based on an asynchronous model of distributed computing, the most widely used in academia and industry. The emphasis of the book is on developing general mechanisms that can be applied to a variety of problems. Its examples-clocks, locks, cameras, sensors, controllers, slicers, and synchronizers-have been carefully chosen so that they are fundamental and yet useful in practical contexts. The text's advantages include: Emphasizes general mechanisms that can be applied to a variety of problems Uses a simple induction-based technique to prove correctness of all algorithms Includes a variety of exercises at the end of each chapter Contains material that has been extensively class tested Gives instructor flexibility in choosing appropriate balance between practice and theory of distributed computing

Distributed Computing

Designing distributed computing systems is a complex process requiring a solid understanding of the design problems and the theoretical and practical aspects of their solutions. This comprehensive textbook covers the fundamental principles and models underlying the theory, algorithms and systems aspects of distributed computing. Broad and detailed coverage of the theory is balanced with practical systems-related issues such as mutual exclusion, deadlock detection, authentication, and failure recovery. Algorithms are carefully selected, lucidly presented, and described without complex proofs. Simple explanations and illustrations are used to elucidate the algorithms. Important emerging topics such as peer-to-peer networks and network security are also considered. With vital algorithms, numerous illustrations, examples and homework problems, this textbook is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of electrical and computer engineering and computer science. Practitioners in data networking and sensor networks will also find this a valuable resource. Additional resources are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521876346.

Elements of Distributed Computing