CSR-EHS: Developing a Theory of Events to Improve Distributed Systems

网络计算模型在理论上是深刻的，它使一系列革命性的技术，从全球信息和通信资源的真实的时间复杂系统的软件控制。 然而，网络计算的每一个方面都将通过更抽象的逻辑方法得到简化和改进。 该项目正在开发一种提供这种方法的事件理论。 本文的核心思想是基于事件结构对分布式计算进行形式化的语义描述。 这种形式主义比标准的状态序列或时态逻辑语义抽象得多。 研究的目的是将事件结构从纯理论转向支持更有效的设计，编程和验证真实的系统。 自80年代以来，一个事件风格理论举行了相当大的未实现的承诺。 本研究的目标是表明：（1）事件的形式化理论可以直接捕获设计人员使用的直观特征和关系，并可以作为分布式计算的形式化理论的基础;（2）提供实时系统程序员可以信任的概念和工具;（3）启用新的编程工具，帮助构建可靠和适应性强的分布式协议。 这种抽象的形式化事件理论预计也会对网络计算的许多其他方面产生影响，它将增加在不同科学领域使用这种网络计算模型的机会。该项目在Web上发布了一些重要协议的精确规范，以及网络计算中关键概念的详细和正式说明，其形式可以通过各种形式化方法工具进行处理。 这些材料有望帮助专业程序员以及那些刚刚学习分布式系统的人。

The network computing model is theoretically deep, and it has enableda range of revolutionary technologies from global information and communication resources to real time software control of complex systems. Nevertheless, every aspect of network computing would be simplified and improved by a more abstract logical approach. This project is developing a theory of events that provides one such approach. The intellectual core of this work is be a formal semantic account of distributed computation based on event structures. This formalism is considerably more abstract than the standard state sequence or temporal logic semantics. The aim of the research is to move event structures from pure theory toward support for more effective design, programming, and verification of real systems. Since the 80's, an event style theory has held considerable unrealized promise. It is the goal of this research to show that (1) a formal theory of events can directly capture intuitive features and relationships used by designers and can serve as the basis for a formal theory of distributed computing; (2) provides concepts and tools that programmers of real-time systems can trust; and (3) enables new programming tools that assist in building reliable and adaptable distributed protocols. This abstract formal theory of events is expected to have implications for many other aspects of network computing as well, and it will increase opportunities to use such a network computing model in diverse areas of science. The project publishes on the Web the precise specifications of some important protocols, as well as detailed and formal accounts of key concepts in network computing in a form that can be processed by a variety of formal methods tools. This material is expected to assist expert programmers as well as those just learning about distributed systems.