Token-based approach in distributed mutual exclusion algorithms: a review and direction to future research

Abstract

The problem of mutual exclusion is a highly focused area in the distributed architecture. To avoid inconsistency in data, mutual exclusion ensures that no two processes running on different processors are allowed to enter into the same shared resource simultaneously in the system. In recent years, the consistent development of ongoing internet and mobile communication technologies, the devices, infrastructure and resources in networking systems like Ad Hoc Networks are becoming more complex and heterogeneous. Various algorithms have been introduced as a solution to mutual exclusion problem in the domain of distributed architecture over the past years. The performance and adaptability of these solutions depend on the different strategies used by them in the system. Various classifications of these strategies have been proposed such as token-based and non-token-based (also, permission-based). This paper presents a survey of various existing token-based distributed mutual exclusion algorithms (TBDMEA) in the focus of their performance measures and fault-tolerant capabilities which comprises the associated open challenges and directions to future research. In conjunction with traditional to latest proposed TBDMEA, token-based distributed group mutual exclusion algorithms (TBDGMEA) and token-based self-stabilizing distributed mutual exclusion algorithms (TBStDMEA) have also been surveyed in this paper as new variants of the token-based scheme.