A timestamp-based checkpointing protocol for long-lived distributed computations

Abstract

The authors present a timestamp-based protocol for checkpointing the global state of a long-lived distributed computation in an environment in which processor clocks are approximately synchronized. The protocol is based on periodic checkpointing of local process states and logging of incoming messages during a short bounded interval. It tolerates process crash and performance failures as well as network omission and performance failures. The proposed approach has the advantage of optimistic logging protocols in that it does not require synchronous logging of each message on stable storage. The approach also has the advantage of pessimistic logging protocols in that it avoids the domino effect by recovering to the most recent successful local checkpoint.