Synchronizing clocks in the presence of faults

  • Authors:
  • Leslie Lamport;P. M. Melliar-Smith

  • Affiliations:
  • SRI International, Menlo Park, CA;SRI International, Menlo Park, CA

  • Venue:
  • Journal of the ACM (JACM)
  • Year:
  • 1985

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Abstract

Algorithms are described for maintaining clock synchrony in a distributed multiprocess system where each process has its own clock. These algorithms work in the presence of arbitrary clock or process failures, including “two-faced clocks” that present different values to different processes. Two of the algorithms require that fewer than one-third of the processes be faulty. A third algorithm works if fewer than half the processes are faulty, but requires digital signatures.