Orphan Detection in the Argus System

Abstract

In a distributed system, an activity running at one node can request another node to perform some service. This request results in an activity being created at the latter node to perform the requested service. The former node may then crash, destroying the activity that requested the service, but leaving behind the activity performing the service. Such surviving are known as orphans [Nelson81]. Orphans are undesirable since they waste resources and can view inconsistent data.