Embracing dynamic evolution in distributed systems

Distributed systems aren't only more widespread than they used to be, but they've become more critical than ever, having moved from client-server systems to multitier heterogeneous systems. Many of these applications - such as telephone exchange systems - must be operational 24 hours a day, so shutting them down isn't a viable option for administrators who must make systemwide changes. As a system becomes larger and more complex, the likelihood of defects increases, which means a greater number of required fixes. Studies have found that nearly half the software development effort in complex distributed systems is devoted to maintenance. Furthermore, the industry currently favors iterative and incremental development approaches over the traditional waterfall approach in software engineering to flexibly handle requirements and reduce project risks by deploying smaller changes. These changes are regular and predictable. So, how can we build distributed systems to handle these kinds of changes? The answer, we argue, is dynamic evolution. From a business perspective, dynamic evolution permits frequent upgrades, which reduces the time between releases. Dynamic evolution also enhances flexibility in implementing changes to unforeseen and fluctuating business requirements. Many specialized distributed systems will benefit from factoring dynamic evolution into their designs. We can easily achieve dynamic evolution in a component-based distributed system. The abstraction of components and their connectors facilitates system structures to accommodate changes.     

Assurance of dynamic adaptation in distributed systems

Long running applications often need to adapt due to changing requirements or changing environment. Typically, such an adaptation is performed by dynamically adding or removing components. In these type of adaptations, components are often added to or removed from multiple processes in the system. As a result, during adaptation, the system may consist of both changed and unchanged processes, causing old and new components to overlap. This overlapping of components during adaptation may induce cross-component communication, which may lead to behavior during adaptation that is unpredictable and/or undesirable.In this paper, we discuss an approach to model and verify overlap adaptation. We use the transitional-invariant lattice and the transitional-faultspan lattice to verify the correctness of adaptation in the absence and the presence of faults, respectively. We also discuss a framework to support implementation of overlap adaptation.     

中文网页分布式并行索引的设计与实现

Internet搜索引擎主要由搜索器、索引器和用户界面三部分组成。通过分析索引数据库在搜索引擎时效性及有效性方面的重要作用,提出一种多进程并行分词建立索引的方法。以中文网页数据库为基本语料库,采用正向最大匹配法进行中文分词,并用一种高效的倒排索引方式存储索引表。这种方法能够加快索引建立与更新的速度,并且在空间效率上也有较大的提高。     

Implementing set objects in dynamic distributed systems

This paper considers a set object, i.e., a shared object allowing users (processes) to add and remove elements to the set, as well as taking consistent snapshots of its content. Specifically, we show that there not exists any protocol implementing a set object, using finite memory, when the underlying distributed system is eventually synchronous and affected by continuous arrivals and departures of processes (phenomenon also known as churn). Then, we analyze the relationship between system model assumptions and object specification in order to design protocols implementing the set object using finite memory. Along one direction (strengthening the system model), we propose a protocol implementing the set object in synchronous distributed systems and, along the other direction (weakening the object specification), we introduce the notion of a k-bounded set object proposing a protocol working on an eventually synchronous system.     

A dynamic voting scheme in distributed systems

A dynamic weighted voting scheme for consistency and recovery control of replicated files in distributed systems is presented. The purpose of a replicated file is to improve the availability of a logical file in the presence of site failures and network partitions. The accessible physical copies of a replicated file will be mutually consistent and behave as a single copy. The recovery scheme requires no manual intervention. The control scheme tolerates any number of site failures and network partitions as well as repairs. Correctness results are given     

The monitoring of inter-process communications in distributed systems

The decomposition of an application into processes and the allocation of the latter to the available processors is one of the most crucial problems in the software design phase of message-based distributed systems. In this paper the authors describe a tool which, by monitoring the communications between processes allocated to separate processing elements, is able to provide indications on the effectiveness of the partitioning and mapping actions carried out. The authors first show, with reference to systems built with Transputer family components, the tool's structure, which is highly independent from the system interconnection network; secondly, they show how to make an initial reduction of the data gathered during the monitoring phase.     

Runtime monitoring of timing constraints in distributed real-time systems

Embedded real-time systems often operate under strict timing and dependability constraints. To ensure responsiveness, these systems must be able to provide the expected services in a timely manner even in the presence of faults. In this paper, we describe a run-time environment for monitoring of timing constraints in distributed real-time systems. In particular, we focus on the problem of detecting violations of timing assertions in an environment in which the real-time tasks run on multiple processors, and timing constraints can be either inter-processor or intra-processor constraints. Constraint violations are detected at the earliest possible time by deriving and checking intermediate constraints from the user-specified constraints. If the violations must be detected as early as possible, then the problem of minimizing the number of messages to be exchanged between the processors becomes intractable. We characterize a sub-class of timing constraints that occur commonly in distributed real-time systems and whose message requirements can be minimized. We also take into account the drift among the various processor clocks when detecting a violation of a timing assertion. Finally, we describe a prototype implementation of a distributed run-time monitor.This work was done while the first two authors were at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center.Supported in part by the Office of Naval Research under grant number N00014-89-J-1040 and by National Science Foundation under grant number CCR-9200858.     

A new dynamic voting algorithm for distributed database systems

We consider the problem of keeping a distributed database system that has been partitioned because of site or communication link failures partially operable while ensuring data consistency. A dynamic-voting-consistency algorithm is proposed, and its correctness is demonstrated. The proposed algorithm results in improved efficiency in executing read requests by not requiring a read quorum. This algorithm is effective in environments where the majority of user requests are “read” types of requests. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm results in efficient recovery by avoiding updating those data objects that are still current. Under the proposed algorithm, the majority partition would be available even if changes in the network topology take place at a higher rate than the update rate, as long as only simple partitioning takes place     

Deployment and dynamic reconfiguration planning for distributed software systems

The quality of software systems are determined in part by their optimal configurations. Optimal configurations are desired when the software is being deployed and during its lifetime. However, initial deployment and subsequent dynamic reconfiguration of a software system is difficult because of the interplay of many interdependent factors, including cost, time, application state, and system resources. As the size and complexity of software systems increases, procedures (manual or automated) that assume a static software architecture and environment are becoming untenable. We have developed a novel technique for carrying out the deployment and reconfiguration planning processes that leverages recent advances in the field of temporal planning. We describe a tool called Planit, which manages the deployment and reconfiguration of a software system utilizing a temporal planner. Given a model of the structure of a software system, the network upon which the system should be hosted, and a goal configuration, Planit will use the temporal planner to devise possible deployments of the system. Given information about changes in the state of the system, network and a revised goal, Planit will use the temporal planner to devise possible reconfigurations of the system. We present the results of a case study in which Planit is applied to a system consisting of various components that communicate across an application-level overlay network. An earlier version of this paper was presented at ICTAI’03.

---

Resource access control for dynamic priority distributed real-time systems

Many of today’s complex computer applications are being modeled and constructed using the principles inherent to real-time distributed object systems. In response to this demand, the Object Management Group’s (OMG) Real-Time Special Interest Group (RT SIG) has worked to extend the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) standard to include real-time specifications. This group’s most recent efforts focus on the requirements of dynamic distributed real-time systems. One open problem in this area is resource access synchronization for tasks employing dynamic priority scheduling. This paper presents two resource synchronization protocols that meet the requirements of dynamic distributed real-time systems as specified by Dynamic Scheduling Real-Time CORBA 2.0 (DSRT CORBA). The proposed protocols can be applied to both Earliest Deadline First (EDF) and Least Laxity First (LLF) dynamic scheduling algorithms, allow distributed nested critical sections, and avoid unnecessary runtime overhead. These protocols are based on (i) distributed resource preclaiming that allocates resources in the message-based distributed system for deadlock prevention, (ii) distributed priority inheritance that bounds local and remote priority inversion, and (iii) distributed preemption ceilings that delimit the priority inversion time further. Chen Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems at Bryant University. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Alabama in 2000 and 2002, a B.S. from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. Dr. Zhang’s primary research interests fall into the areas of distributed systems and telecommunications. He is a member of ACM, IEEE and DSI. David Cordes is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Alabama; he has also served as Department Head since 1997. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Louisiana State University in 1988, an M.S. in Computer Science from Purdue University in 1984, and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Arkansas in 1982. Dr. Cordes’s primary research interests fall into the areas of software engineering and systems. He is a member of ACM and a Senior Member of IEEE.     

Design of distributed PID-type dynamic matrix controller for fractional-order systems

With the continuous requirements for product quality and safety operation in industrial production, it is difficult to describe the complex large-scale processes with integer-order differential equations. However, the fractional differential equations may precisely represent the intrinsic characteristics of such systems. In this paper, a distributed PID-type dynamic matrix control method based on fractional-order systems is proposed. First, the high-order approximate model of integer order is obtained by utilising the Oustaloup method. Then, the step response model vectors of the plant is obtained on the basis of the high-order model, and the online optimisation for multivariable processes is transformed into the optimisation of each small-scale subsystem that is regarded as a sub-plant controlled in the distributed framework. Furthermore, the PID operator is introduced into the performance index of each subsystem and the fractional-order PID-type dynamic matrix controller is designed based on Nash optimisation strategy. The information exchange among the subsystems is realised through the distributed control structure so as to complete the optimisation task of the whole large-scale system. Finally, the control performance of the designed controller in this paper is verified by an example.     

Model continuity in the design of dynamic distributed real-time systems

Model continuity refers to the ability to transition as much as possible a model specification through the stages of a development process. In this paper, the authors show how a modeling and simulation environment, based on the discrete event system specification formalism, can support model continuity in the design of dynamic distributed real-time systems. In designing such systems, the authors restrict such continuity to the models that implement the system's real-time control and dynamic reconfiguration. The proposed methodology supports systematic modeling of dynamic systems and adopts simulation-based tests for distributed real-time software. Model continuity is emphasized during the entire process of software development $the control models of a dynamic distributed real-time system can be designed, analyzed, and tested by simulation methods, and then smoothly transitioned from simulation to distributed execution. A dynamic team formation distributed robotic system is presented as an example to show how model continuity methodology effectively manages the complexity of developing and testing the control software for this system.     

Design of servo systems for distributed parameter systems by finite dimensional dynamic compensator

The design problem of servo systems for distributed parameter systems is investigated. The output regulator of integral type is designed in order to guarantee internal stability and output regulation. The design procedure based on a dynamic stabilizing compensator is discussed. The output regulation of a wide class of distributed parameter systems is proved under the condition that a closed-loop system is stabilized by a dynamic compensator of general type. Then a closed-loop system can be stabilized by a finite dimensional dynamic compensator under some additional conditions. The reducabitity of the design procedure to a purely finite dimensional one is discussed.     

基于灰色预测的分布式系统动态故障检测服务

针对已有故障检测服务不能有效满足分布式系统需求问题,设计了一种适用于分布式系统的动态故障检测服务.根据分布式系统的特点,在定义分布式系统模型的基础上,提出了动态故障检测服务架构.结合心跳策略和灰色预测方法,设计了一种动态心跳机制,并给出了预测模型和动态预测策略,提出了基于该动态心跳机制的分布式系统的故障检测算法.最后,仿真实验验证了该算法的正确性和有效性.     

A middleware platform for the dynamic evolution of distributed component-based systems

In this paper, we present a middleware platform that supports the dynamic evolution of distributed component-based systems. It leverages the concept of ontologies to model the context of a system and an intrinsic mechanism is integrated to causally connect the dynamic architecture specification to the running system implementation. The ontological modeling covers both the environmental and the architectural knowledge using semantic data modeling. The intrinsic mechanism can automatically derive a run-time polymorphic architecture object to coordinate the involved components. The ontology based contextual representation and the polymorphic architecture-driven dynamic evolution are the two underpinnings of the platform. A scenario application—including the two primitive evolution actions—with the performance analysis is discussed to illustrate the feasibility.     

基于分布式FBG的钢轨动静态载荷监测研究

针对铁道领域钢轨应变监测需求,提出一种基于光纤Bragg光栅（ FBG）传感器的钢轨应变监测系统。从静态载荷监测角度,研究了不同加载位置的FBG传感器中心波长随加载载荷大小变化的关系。从动态载荷监测角度,研究了循环加载状态下的各FBG传感器中心波长偏移量特性。研究表明：在静态载荷作用下,各FBG传感器中心波长偏移量均随加载载荷增大而呈现良好线性变化关系,且传感器对载荷加载距离和角度变化较为敏感。在动态循环载荷作用下,FBG传感器网络能够较好地实现对钢轨应变和温度参量的实时监测。这些研究为钢轨应变与损伤分布式在线监测技术提供了有益借鉴。     

Secure dynamic fragment and replica allocation in large-scale distributed file systems

We present a distributed algorithm for file allocation that guarantees high assurance, availability, and scalability in a large distributed file system. The algorithm can use replication and fragmentation schemes to allocate the files over multiple servers. The file confidentiality and integrity are preserved, even in the presence of a successful attack that compromises a subset of the file servers. The algorithm is adaptive in the sense that it changes the file allocation as the read-write patterns and the location of the clients in the network change. We formally prove that, assuming read-write patterns are stable, the algorithm converges toward an optimal file allocation, where optimality is defined as maximizing the file assurance.     

DYFRAM: dynamic fragmentation and replica management in distributed database systems

In distributed database systems, tables are frequently fragmented and replicated over a number of sites in order to reduce network communication costs. How to fragment, when to replicate and how to allocate the fragments to the sites are challenging problems that has previously been solved either by static fragmentation, replication and allocation, or based on a priori query analysis. Many emerging applications of distributed database systems generate very dynamic workloads with frequent changes in access patterns from different sites. In such contexts, continuous refragmentation and reallocation can significantly improve performance. In this paper we present DYFRAM, a decentralized approach for dynamic table fragmentation and allocation in distributed database systems based on observation of the access patterns of sites to tables. The approach performs fragmentation, replication, and reallocation based on recent access history, aiming at maximizing the number of local accesses compared to accesses from remote sites. We show through simulations and experiments on the DASCOSA distributed database system that the approach significantly reduces communication costs for typical access patterns, thus demonstrating the feasibility of our approach.     

Modified covariance intersection for data fusion in distributed nonhomogeneous monitoring systems network

Monitoring networks contain monitoring nodes that observe an area of interest to detect any possible existing object and estimate its states. Each node has characteristics such as probability of detection and clutter density that may have different values for distinct nodes in nonhomogeneous monitoring networks. This paper proposes a modified covariance intersection method for data fusion in such networks. It is derived by formulating a mixed game model between neighbor monitoring nodes as players and considering the inverse of the trace of fused covariance matrix as players' utility function. Monitoring nodes estimate the states of any possible existing object by applying joint target detection and tracking filter on their own observations. Processing nodes fuse the estimated states received from neighbor monitoring nodes by the proposed modified covariance intersection. It is validated by simulating target detection and tracking problem in 2 situations: 1 target and unknown number of targets.