How Gossip Protocol Works?
First, let’s consider the fact that every node in the network may contain some local information or data it wants to share with other nodes. This could be updates, events, status changes or any other information. Below is how gossip protocol works:
- Step 1: Peer Selection:
- In a gossip protocol, each node chooses randomly a few others from the network to communicate with.
- The number of peers selected for communication can vary depending on the protocol and the network’s characteristics.
- Step 2: Information Exchange:
- After selecting their peers, nodes exchange information amongst themselves.
- Exchange could involve sharing what the node has locally with those chosen peers, receiving from them or doing both.
- Step 3: Propagation:
- As long as nodes keep on gossipping each other; this will result into distributed propagation of exchanged material to all parts of the network.
- Once a node gets new information, it may also gossip with different nodes thus spreading the materials farther away.
- Step 4: Iterative Process:
- Gossip protocols usually work in iterative manner where new peers are chosen periodically by nodes for gossipping and exchange of information.
- In this way an iterative process will ensure distribution of data throughout all parts of the system over time.
- Step 5: Convergence:
- The repeated interactions among nodes through gossiping eventually make all pieces of shared knowledge reach all parts connected leading to convergence.
- Every single node ends up having its own part of shared knowledge finally after going through these stages.
Gossip Protocol in Disrtibuted Systems
In this article, we will discover the Gossip Protocol, decentralized communication for fault-tolerant systems, and learn how it scales and ensures data consistency in distributed environments.
Important Topics for Gossip Protocol
- What is Gossip Protocol?
- Importance of Gossip Protocols in Distributed Systems
- Characteristics of Gossip Protocol
- How Gossip Protocol Works?
- Membership Management by Gossip Protocol
- Epidemic Algorithms and its role in Gossip Protocol
- Anti-Entropy Mechanisms in Gossip Protocol
- Scalability and fault tolerance of gossip protocol
- Use Cases of Gossip Protocol