Showing papers by "Michael Merritt published in 1989"
TL;DR: Using simple protocols, it is shown how to achieve consensus in constant expected time, within a variety of fail-stop and omission failure models, which are based on distributively flipping a coin.
Abstract: Using simple protocols, it is shown how to achieve consensus in constant expected time, within a variety of fail-stop and omission failure models. Significantly, the strongest models considered are completely asynchronous. All of the results are based on distributively flipping a coin, which is usable by a significant majority of the processors. Finally, a nearly matching lower bound is also given for randomized protocols for consensus.
79 citations
01 Mar 1989
TL;DR: An algorithm is presented that exploits a weaker condition than is normally required to achieve greater concurrency and a proof that the algorithm satisfies the safety condition is concluded.
Abstract: This paper examines cache consistency conditions (safety conditions) for multiprocessor shared memory systems. It states and motivates a weaker condition than is normally required. An algorithm is presented that exploits the weaker condition to achieve greater concurrency. The paper concludes with a proof that the algorithm satisfies the safety condition.
45 citations
10 Jan 1989
TL;DR: A new algorithm for concurrency control in nested transaction systems that uses semantic information about an object (commutativity of operations) to obtain more concurrency than is available with Moss’ locking algorithm.
Abstract: We introduce a new algorithm for concurrency control in nested transaction systems. The algorithm uses semantic information about an object (commutativity of operations) to obtain more concurrency than is available with Moss’ locking algorithm which is currently used as the default in systems like Argus and Camelot. We define “dynamic atomicity”, a local property of an object, and prove that dynamic atomicity of each object guarantees the correctness of the whole system. Objects implemented using the commutativity-based locking algorithm are dynamic atomic.
6 citations