Optimizing Byzantine Consensus for Fault-Tolerant Embedded Systems with Ad-Hoc and Infrastructure Networks

Consensus algorithms are an important building block for fault-tolerant distributed systems. This paper investigates approaches to optimize solutions of distributed consensus to the properties of embedded systems. We discuss alternatives that allow constructing better practical solutions in realistic environments. For example, many networked embedded systems are equipped with both ad-hoc communication among collaborating actors and communication with a static infrastructure. Traditional consensus algorithms, however, are usually fully decentralized, and thus are unable to benefit from the additional infrastructure. Other existing approaches fully rely on the infrastructure, and thus fail to work if the infrastructure is not available. This paper sketches hybrid approaches that combine the advantages of both strategies.