The limits of network transparency in a distributed programming language

This dissertation presents a study on the extent and limits of network transparency in distributed programming languages. This property states that the result of a distributed program is the same as if it were executed on a single computer, in the case when no failure occurs. The programming language may also be network aware if it allows the programmer to control how a program is distributed and how it behaves on the network. Both aim at simplifying distributed programming, by making non-functional aspects of a program more modular. We show that network transparency is not only possible, but also practical: it can be efficient, and smoothly extended in the case of partial failure. We give a proof of concept with the programming language Oz and the system Mozart, of which we have reimplemented the distribution support on top of the Distribution Subsystem (DSS). We have extended the language to control which distribution algorithms are used in a program, and reflect partial failures in the language. Both extensions allow to handle non-functional aspects of a program without breaking the property of network transparency.