Synchronous Hybrid Message-Adversary (1605.02279v2)

Abstract: The theory of distributed computing, lagging in its development behind practice, has been biased in its modelling by employing mechanisms within the model mimicking reality. Reality means, processors can fail. But theory is about predicting consequences of reality, hence if we capture reality by "artificial models," but those nevertheless make analysis simpler, we should pursue the artificial models. Recently the idea was advocated to analyze distributed systems and view processors as infallible. It is the message delivery substrate that causes problems. This view not only can effectively emulate reality, but above all seems to allow to view any past models as \emph{synchronous} models. Synchronous models are easier to analyze than asynchronous ones. Furthermore, it gives rise to models we haven't contemplated in the past. One such model, presented here, is the Hybrid Message-Adversary. We motivate this model through the need to analyze Byzantine faults. The Hybrid model exhibits a phenomenon not seen in the past.