Using multicast communications to distribute code and data in wide area networks

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Abstract
This paper describes the implementation and use of a prototype multicast late‐binding RPC (LbRPC) system. The system provides a mechanism for exporting arbitrary code and data across a wide area internetwork to multiple hosts for evaluation. This mechanism provides a means to ensure that the total execution time for the application is as small as possible without requiring continual monitoring and estimation of the state of the hosts and the intervening network. The impact of sending the same code and data to a group of remote hosts is minimized by using multicast Internet protocol (IP) communications for the outward leg of the transaction. This prototype implementation demonstrates the feasibility of using multicasting for process placement and some performance measurements are included to show how it stands up to usage on the Internet. The paper concludes with a discussion of outstanding issues raised by this research.

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