Locating mobile objects in a worldwide system requires a scalable location service. An object can be a telephone or a notebook computer, but also a software or data object, such as a file or an electronic document. Our service strictly separates an object's name from the addresses where it can be contacted. This is done by introducing a location-independent object handle. An object's name is bound to its unique object handle, which, in turn, is mapped to the addresses where the object can be contacted. To locate an object, we need only its object handle. We present a scalable location service based on a worldwide distributed search tree that adapts dynamically to an object's migration pattern to optimize lookups and updates.
This paper discusses how we designed and implemented the system, which problems we encountered, and how we solved these problems. We also discuss the performance effects of our changes and evaluate how our multiserver design improves operating system dependability over monolithic designs.'Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.' -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry [2]
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