· 2014
In search of an understandable consensus algorithm
- 1,484citations
- 2014year
Short summary
Raft, a new consensus algorithm, achieves equivalent performance to Paxos but is significantly easier to understand and implement by separating consensus elements like leader election and log replication.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Raft is a consensus algorithm for replicated logs, equivalent in performance to Paxos.
- Raft separates consensus elements (leader election, log replication, safety) for improved understandability.
- User studies show Raft is easier for students to learn than Paxos.
- Raft includes a new mechanism for cluster membership changes that guarantees safety via overlapping majorities.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Raft is a consensus algorithm for managing a replicated log. It produces a result equivalent to (multi-)Paxos, and it is as efficient as Paxos, but its structure is different from Paxos; this makes Raft more understandable than Paxos and also provides a better foundation for build-ing practical systems. In order to enhance understandabil-ity, Raft separates the key elements of consensus, such as leader election, log replication, and safety, and it enforces a stronger degree of coherency to reduce the number of states that must be considered. Results from a user study demonstrate that Raft is easier for students to learn than Paxos. Raft also includes a new mechanism for changing the cluster membership, which uses overlapping majori-ties to guarantee safety. 1
The authors' abstract, as published at the source., 2014 · DOI ↗
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Field: Computer Networks and Communications
Computer Networks and CommunicationsComputer Science