Decentralized, Connectivity-Preserving, and Cost-Effective Structured Overlay Maintenance

In this paper we present a rigorous treatment to structured overlay maintenance in decentralized peerto-peer (P2P) systems subject to various system and network failures. we present a precise specification that requires the overlay maintenance protocols to be decentralized, preserve connectivity of the overlay, always converge to the desired structure whenever possible, and only maintain a small local state independent of the size of the system. We then provide a complete protocol with proof showing that it satisfies the specification. The protocol solves a number of subtle issues caused by decentralization and concurrency in the system. Our specification and the protocol overcomes a number of limitations of existing overlay maintenance protocols, such as the reliance on a centralized and continuously available bootstrap system, the assumption of a known system stabilization time, and the need to maintain large local membership lists.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: SSS
• Authors: Yu Chen, Wei Chen
• Keywords: Overlay Maintenance, Overlay Maintenance Protocols, Small Local State, SSS 2007