Distributed EZ

Abstract:

EZ is a system that integrates traditional operating systems and
programming languages into a very high-level, persistent, string
processing language. This paper describes the design and initial
implementation of a distributed memory manager that distributes EZ's
virtual address space transparently among a network of homogeneous
computers. The design adapts the techniques used in recent
implementations of shared virtual memory for use in EZ's persistent
environment. Unlike most implementations of shared virtual memory,
control information is distributed and migrates. This memory manager
works in concert with a distributed mark-and-sweep garbage collector,
which is also concurrent and real-time. This collector trades time for
space and minimal disruption of mutators, which reduces communication
costs.

This technical report has been published as

Distributed EZ. Alvaro E. Campos and David R. Hanson,
Proc. of the 16th Annual Computer Software and
Applications Conference, Chicago, Sept. 1992,
pp. 136-142.