Paper Topics
(updated April 12)
Below is a list of suggested contemporary Distributed Computin topics, issues, and
research paper references. Each student must complete 2 short
paper assignments on topics selected from this list or on topics
suggested by the student and approved by the instructor. Each
student may complete a longer, more detailed research paper on a topic
from this list (or approved topic suggested by the student), OR a distributed
system project, OR take the final exam.
Short papers summarize and review the topics as they relate to the core
distributed system principles covered IN CLASS and in the textbook
(Chapters 15, 16, and especially 17)). About 4-5 pages, with appropriate
references.
Long research papers and projects explore a topic in more depth, include detailed
discussion of core Distributed System principles, and may include solution implementation/demonstration, and program/data
analysis. Include appropriate references.
- Grid Computing: A Conversation with Sun Microsystems' Chief Technology Officer, Greg Papadopoulos: Read this article...several distributed computing ideas are discussed, in particular Jini. But a more interesting one is his "grand challenge": "How do I keep that process running for ten years? And when you figure that out, how do I keep it running for 100 years?" (for some interesting thinking about long-term technology, see The Long Now Foundation
- The Interplanetary Internet: Considering Deutch's Fallacies on an interplanetary scale, how would you create a solar system internet. No, you can't break the currently understood Einsteinian laws of physics...no FTL, no ansibles, warp drives, etc.
- Project JXTA, and JXTA Technology: What makes P2P different from the way we currently do distributed computing?
- What is N1?, Autonomic Computing?, and what distributed system problems are they trying to resolve?
- What is SETI@HOME? How is it implemented?
- What is a Distributed Lock Manager? How is it implemented, and what are typical uses?
- What is the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search?
- What is a "cluster"? What problems do they solve? What is the "split-brain" problem for clusters? How is it solved?
- What is a Lamport Clock? How is it used to synchronize system time across multiple systems?
- What distributed system problems can Jini solve?
- What is "Horizontal Scaling" of computer resources (compared to "Vertical Scaling")? What are the advantagtes/disadvantages of each?
- What do Byzantine Generals have to do with Distributed Computing?
- MORE TOPICS WILL BE ADDED LATER THIS WEEK