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Parrot: Transparent User-Level Middleware for Data Intensive Computing (2003)
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| Venue: | In Workshop on Adaptive Grid Middleware |
| Citations: | 49 - 22 self |
BibTeX
@INPROCEEDINGS{Thain03parrot:transparent,
author = {Douglas Thain and Miron Livny},
title = {Parrot: Transparent User-Level Middleware for Data Intensive Computing},
booktitle = {In Workshop on Adaptive Grid Middleware},
year = {2003}
}
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Abstract
Distributed computing continues to be an alphabet-soup of services and protocols for managing computation and storage. To live in this environment, applications require middleware that can transparently adapt standard interfaces to new distributed systems; such software is known as an interposition agent. In this paper, we present several lessons learned about interposition agents via a progressive study of design possibilities. Although performance is an important concern, we pay special attention to less tangible issues such as portability, reliability, and compatibility. We begin with a comparison of seven methods of interposition, focusing on one method, the debugger trap, that requires special techniques to achieve acceptable performance on popular operating systems. Using this method, we implement a complete interposition agent, Parrot, that splices existing remote I/O systems into the namespace of standard applications. The primary design problem of Parrot is the mapping of fixed application semantics into the semantics of the available I/O systems. We offer a detailed discussion of how errors and other unexpected conditions must be carefully managed in order to keep this mapping intact. We conclude with a evaluation of the performance of the I/O protocols employed by Parrot, and use an Andrew-like benchmark to demonstrate that semantic differences have consequences in performance. 1.
Keyphrases
transparent user-level middleware data intensive computing interposition agent unexpected condition detailed discussion acceptable performance special attention fixed application semantics new distributed system tangible issue andrew-like benchmark standard application complete interposition agent primary design problem special technique progressive study debugger trap important concern semantic difference present several lesson design possibility standard interface
