Implementation of the conversion scheme in loosely coupled distributed computer systems

Abstract

Several different approaches are discussed for implementing conversations in loosely coupled distributed computer systems (DCSs). Important implementation factors considered include the control of exits of processes on completion of their conversation tasks and the approach to execution of the conversation acceptance test. Two different exit control strategies, one in a synchronous manner and the other in an asynchronous manner, and three different approaches to execution of the conversation acceptance test, centralized, decentralized, and semi-centralized, are examined and compared in terms of system performance and implementation cost. The effectiveness of these execution approaches also depends on the way conversations are structured initially by program designers. Therefore, the two major types of conversation structures, name-linked recovery block and abstract data type conversations are examined to analyze which execution approaches are the most efficient for each conversation structure. These results provide guidelines for implementing conversations in loosely coupled DCSs.<>