Logical Synchrony and the Bittide Mechanism
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: We introduce logical synchrony, a framework that allows distributed computing to be coordinated as tightly as in synchronous systems without the distribution of a global clock or any reference to universal time. We develop a model of events called a logical synchrony network, in which nodes correspond to processors and every node has an associated local clock which generates the events. We construct a measure of logical latency and develop its properties. A further model, called a multiclock network, is then analyzed and shown to be a refinement of the logical synchrony network. We present the bittide mechanism as an instantiation of multiclock networks, and discuss the clock control mechanism that ensures that buffers do not overflow or underflow. Finally we give conditions under which a logical synchrony network has an equivalent synchronous realization.
Institution: Google (United States)
Language: English
Subfield: Computer Networks and Communications
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,495
OpenAlex ID: W4401634178