Publication

Abstract : Inter-Process Communication (IPC) is a common implementation of coordination and data exchange between multiple processes in centralized and distributed systems. The common source of failure in IPC schemes is the shared memory problem, which imposes high-level concurrency requirements in messaging systems. In this work, we design and implement a simple and effective Message Passing Simulator for inter-process communication via message queues. The simulator simulates the interaction between processes by re-creating in its virtual domain all the important aspects of IPC systems, including process identifiers, mailboxes, message buffers, and synchronization mechanisms. Simplified communication between processes is illustrated by the simulation via symbolic representation. The simulator provides a controlled environment where users can experiment with sending/receiving of messages, or analyze the message flow, and experience various synchronization problems, such as race conditions and deadlocks. We propose this simulator mainly for teaching purposes and to encourage better understanding and implementation of basic inter-process communication concepts.