Replicated RPC using Amoeba closed group communication

Abstract

Since remote procedure call (RPC) has become the method of choice for client-server communication in a distributed operating system, providing a fault-tolerant RPC mechanism is crucial to ensuring system reliability. The author presents a replicated RPC library for the Amoeba distributed operating system. The library's RPC protocol is presented in detail, including preliminary performance figures. The protocol is distinguished by its use of closed process groups in conjunction with the coordinator-cohort method of computation. The method presented is applicable to any system supporting closed process groups and totally ordered multicast.<>