Interactive Animation of Fault Tolerant Parallel Algorithms

摘要

Animation of algorithms makes understanding them intuitively easier. This paperdescribes the software tool Raft (Robust Animator of Fault Tolerant Algorithms). The Raft system allows the user to animate a number of parallel algorithms which achieve fault tolerant execution. In particular, we use it to illustrate the key Write-All problem. It has an extensive user-interface which allows a choice of the number of processors, the number of elements in the Write-All array, and the adversary to control the processor failures. The novelty of the system is that the interface allows the user to create new on-line adversaries as the algorithm executes.