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H. Moser, U. Schmid:
"Reconciling fault-tolerant distributed algorithms and real-time computing";
Distributed Computing, 27 (2014), 3; 203 - 230.

We present generic transformations, which allow to translate classic fault-tolerant distributed algorithms and their correctness proofs into a real-time distributed computing model (and vice versa). Owing to the non-zero-time, non-preemptible state transitions employed in our real-time model, scheduling and queuing effects (which are inherently abstracted away in classic zero step-time models, sometimes leading to overly optimistic time complexity results) can be accurately modeled. Our results thus make fault-tolerant distributed algorithms amenable to a sound real-time analysis, without sacrificing the wealth of algorithms and correctness proofs established in classic distributed computing research. By means of an example, we demonstrate that real-time algorithms generated by transforming classic algorithms can be competitive even w.r.t. optimal real-time algorithms, despite their comparatively simple real-time analysis.

Distributed computing models; Real-time analysis; Fault-tolerance; Proof techniques

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00446-013-0204-1