Decoupling conflicts for configurable resolution in an open replication system

TL;DR

This paper introduces Replikativ, a middleware supporting a confluent replicated datatype inspired by version control, enabling distributed applications with configurable conflict resolution and trade-offs in availability, demonstrating feasibility through experiments.

Contribution

It presents a new replicated datatype and middleware design that decouples conflict resolution, providing a flexible foundation for replication as a service.

Findings

Feasibility of the confluent replicated datatype demonstrated

Supports distributed applications with native-like development experience

Experimental results confirm practical implementation viability

Abstract

Replikativ is a replication middleware supporting a new kind of confluent replicated datatype resembling a distributed version control system. It retains the order of write operations at the trade-off of reduced availability with after-the- fact conflict resolution. The system allows to develop applications with distributed state in a similar fashion as native applications with exclusive local state, while transparently exposing the necessary compromises in terms of the CAP theorem. In this paper, we give a specification of the replicated datatype and discuss its usage in the replikativ middleware. Experiments with the implementation show the feasibility of the concept as a foundation for replication as a service (RaaS).