Distributed consensus

Definition : Distributed consensus is a process in distributed systems

where multiple independent nodes agree on a shared decision or
value. It addresses challenges such as node failures and
communication delays to maintain a consistent system state. The
goal is to achieve a unified and reliable view across all nodes despite
potential disruptions. Consensus mechanisms, like Raft or Paxos, are
used to ensure agreement in decentralized environments. This is
crucial for the proper functioning of distributed databases.
Paxos Algorithm

The Paxos algorithm is a consensus algorithm designed to achieve

fault tolerance in distributed systems. It was introduced by Leslie
Lamport in 1989 and is widely used in distributed computing to
ensure that a group of nodes can agree on a single value even if
some nodes fail or the communication between them is unreliable.
The primary goal of the Paxos algorithm is to allow a group of nodes
(or processes) to agree on a single value, even if some nodes may fail
or send unreliable messages. The algorithm operates in rounds, and
each round consists of a set of phases. The main phases are:
1.Prepare Phase: A node, called the proposer, sends a prepare
request to all other nodes with a proposal number. Nodes respond
with a promise not to accept any proposal numbered lower than the
one they have already promised.
2.Accept Phase: If the proposer receives promises from a majority of
nodes, it can send an accept request with the proposed value. Nodes
will accept the value if they have not promised to reject proposals
with a higher number.
3.Learn Phase: Once a node has accepted a value, it informs all other
nodes of the accepted value. Nodes update their accepted value if
they receive a proposal with a higher number.
(NS , valeur)

The Paxos algorithm ensures that only one value is ultimately

chosen, and that choice is guaranteed to be one of the values
proposed by a proposer. The algorithm can tolerate the failure of
some nodes and still reach consensus, as long as a majority of nodes
are functioning correctly.

While Paxos provides a robust solution for consensus in distributed

systems, it can be complex to understand and implement. Variants
and optimizations, such as Multi-Paxos, have been developed to
address some of the practical challenges of deploying Paxos in real-
world distributed systems.

Raft Algorithm

The Raft algorithm is a consensus algorithm designed to be

understandable and relatively simple to implement. It was
introduced by Diego Ongaro and John Ousterhout in 2013. Here is a
general description of the main aspects of the Raft algorithm:
1.Leader Election: The process begins with a leader election. Nodes
in the system elect a leader among themselves. The leader is
responsible for managing write operations to the log.
2.Replication of Log Entries: The leader is responsible for replicating
entries from its log to other nodes in the system. Other nodes follow
the leader and update their logs to stay synchronized.
3.Log Compaction: Periodically, the leader can compact the log by
removing entries already confirmed by the majority of nodes. This
helps limit the size of the log and improve system efficiency.
4.Commitment: Before a log entry is considered committed, it must
be replicated on a majority of nodes. This ensures that most nodes in
the system agree on the current state.
5.Leader Failure and Election: If the leader fails (e.g., due to a crash),
a new election process is triggered. Nodes in the system use a voting
mechanism to elect a new leader.

The Raft algorithm is designed to be more understandable than other

consensus algorithms, such as Paxos. It breaks down the consensus
problem into simpler steps and uses a leader model to simplify
coordination. However, it maintains sufficient robustness to ensure
consensus even in the presence of node failures.