BuddyCache: cache coherence for transactional peer group applications

Abstract

Universal network access has enabled a new class of distributed applications that allow collaborating peers to share cached data. Until now these applications had basic limitations: sharing was limited to read-only access, networks were limited to local area networks, and there was no support for fine-grained sharing or transactions. BuddyCache is a caching system for peer applications that provides updates to shared data from remote repositories. BuddyCache is the first system to provide transactional fine-grain coherence in high-latency networks. It provides consistent, low-latency access to shared objects cached by peers when consistency management requires coordination with remote repositories over high-latency wide-area networks.