Understanding Leader Election Algorithm
The election algorithm is based on the following assumptions:
1. Each process has a unique priority number.
2. All processes in the system are fully connected.
3. The process with the highest priority number will be elected as coordinator.
4. Each process knows the process number of all other processes.
5. What the process doesn’t know is which process is up or down.
6. During recovery, the failed process can take appropriate steps to resume the set of active processes.
Note: The goal of the election algorithm is to ensure the following factors:
- There should be only one leader among the processes.
- All Processes agree on who is the leader.
We have two election algorithms for two different configurations of a distributed system.
1. Bully Algorithm
2. Ring Algorithm
Bully Algorithm in Distributed System
Operating Systems play a critical role in managing and coordinating the activities of a computer system. In distributed systems, where multiple computers work together to achieve a common goal, the issue of node/process failure becomes a significant concern. To ensure the reliability and fault tolerance of a distributed system, leader election algorithms come to the rescue. In this article, we will discuss the leader election algorithm (Bully algorithm) and understand how it guarantees the election of a new coordinator when the current coordinator fails.