Area : Computer Networks & Distributed Processing

Disconnected operations are important where unreliable, low bandwidth networks with high error rates and frequent spurious disconnections are in use. There may be two kinds of disconnected operations involuntary which may be caused due to the network, and voluntary disconnections which may be caused by the user due to network unavailability, reasons of cost, or for power consumption reasons.

In the area of mobile communications and computing disconnected operations are important since lower quality, unreliable wireless communications are frequently used. Although a desktop computer may rely on Local or Wide Area Network, a portable machine may only rely on a telephone line or a cellular connections.

Ideally the network should take care of all problems caused by itself and disconnected operations should be transparent to the user. This relieves the user of having to be constantly aware of the state of the network, which is especially for users inexperienced with computers important. However, perfect transparency is not attainable. I will try to achieve as much transparency as possible.

My thesis will address the problems of disconnected operations and try to provide a communication infrastructure which will solve the related problems.