Presents protocols for determining processor membership in asynchronous distributed systems that are subject to processor and communication faults. These protocols depend on the placement of a total order on broadcast messages. The types of systems for which each of these protocols is applicable are characterized by the properties of the communication mechanisms and by the availability of stable storage. In the absence of stable storage or of a mechanism for distinguishing promptly delivered messages, the authors show that no membership protocol can exist. They also discuss their experience in implementing these membership protocols.>

Two novel efficient algorithms for placing a total order on messages in an asynchronous fault-tolerant distributed system are presented. The algorithms are resilient to fewer than ${n / 3}$ and ${n / 2}$ faulty processes in an n-process system. Partial correctness and probabilistic termination are demonstrated; it is also shown that there does not exist a total ordering algorithm that is guaranteed to terminate. A comparison of the complexity of the algorithms is given.

Algorithms for solving the processor membership problem in asynchronous distributed systems that are subject to processor and communication faults are presented. These algorithms are based on the placement of a total order on broadcast messages. The types of systems for which each of these algorithms is appropriate are characterized in terms of the properties of the communication mechanisms and the availability of stable storage. In the absence of stable storage or a mechanism for distinguishing promptly delivery messages, it is shown that no membership algorithm exists.>

An innovative approach is presented to the design of fault-tolerant distributed systems that avoids the several rounds of message exchange required by current protocols for consensus agreement. The approach is based on broadcast communication over a local area network, such as an Ethernet or a token ring, and on two novel protocols, the Trans protocol, which provides efficient reliable broadcast communication, and the Total protocol, which with high probability promptly places a total order on messages and achieves distributed agreement even in the presence of fail-stop, omission, timing, and communication faults. Reliable distributed operations, such as locking, update, and commitment, typically require only a single broadcast message rather than the several tens of messages required by current algorithms.>