Abstract:
A major research challenge in distributed systems is the design of services that incorporate robustness to events such as network changes and node faults. In this paper we describe an approach � which we refer to as EmbryoWare � that is inspired by cellular development and differentiation processes. The approach uses �artificial stem cells� in the form of totipotent nodes that differentiate into the different types needed to obtain the desired system�level behaviour. Each node has a genome that contains the full service specification, as well as rules for the differentiation process. We describe the system architecture and present simulation results that assess the overall performance and fault tolerance properties of the system in a decentralized network monitoring scenario.
