Causal Consistency for Reversible Multiparty Protocols

• Published in: Logical methods in computer science Vol. 17, Issue 4
• Main Authors: Mezzina, Claudio Antares, Pérez, Jorge A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Logical Methods in Computer Science e.V 01-10-2021
• Subjects: computer science - logic in computer science; d.3.1; f.3.2
• ISSN: 1860-5974; 1860-5974
• DOI: 10.46298/lmcs-17(4:1)2021

In programming models with a reversible semantics, computational steps can be
undone. This paper addresses the integration of reversible semantics into
process languages for communication-centric systems equipped with behavioral
types. In prior work, we introduced a monitors-as-memories approach to
seamlessly integrate reversible semantics into a process model in which
concurrency is governed by session types (a class of behavioral types),
covering binary (two-party) protocols with synchronous communication. The
applicability and expressiveness of the binary setting, however, is limited.
Here we extend our approach, and use it to define reversible semantics for an
expressive process model that accounts for multiparty (n-party) protocols,
asynchronous communication, decoupled rollbacks, and abstraction passing. As
main result, we prove that our reversible semantics for multiparty protocols is
causally-consistent. A key technical ingredient in our developments is an
alternative reversible semantics with atomic rollbacks, which is conceptually
simple and is shown to characterize decoupled rollbacks.