Erlang distribution: going beyond the fully connected mesh

In our search to improve Erlang distribution as cluster sizes grow and topologies become more dynamic, we have tried many things: prototyping solutions to ahead-of-line blocking using fragmented packages, using UDP for distribution, and experimenting with Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) for real-time Erlang in industrial settings.

We will talk about our experiences so far and build upon the work of the OTP team by experimenting with a generic behaviour to make custom Erlang distribution implementations easier.

OBJECTIVES

Give a brief overview of the history and problems with Erlang distribution, look at the current state of the art and propose areas for further work and research.

AUDIENCE

People interested in Erlang internals, improved distribution protocols and who want to participate in enhancing Erlang's distribution.