A dynamic information-structure mutual exclusion algorithm for distributed systems

A dynamic information-structure mutual exclusion algorithm is presented for distributed systems whose information-structure evolves with time as sites learn about the state of the system through messages. An interesting feature of the algorithm is that it adapts itself to heterogeneous or fluctuating traffic conditions to optimize the performance (the number of messages exchanged). The performance of the algorithm is studied by simulation technique and compared to the performance of a well-known mutual exclusion algorithm. The impact message loss and site failures on the algorithm is discussed and methods to tolerate these failures are proposed