A data synchronization service for ad hoc groups

The emergence of wireless ad hoc networking has opened the way for a new style of distributed computing. Ad hoc networks operate without infrastructure such as routers or access points. Software designed for this environment faces new challenges. In traditional networks, partitioning is typically treated as an exceptional and transient condition. The situation in ad hoc wireless networks is completely reversed. Each ad hoc group is an isolated network, partitioned from all other ad hoc networks. As computers move from one ad hoc group to another, the set of partitions changes. This paper presents the design and implementation of a data synchronization service intended specifically for ad hoc wireless networks. It describes the underlying factors affecting the design, the protocol used to achieve synchronization, and some performance measurements from the actual implementation.