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In class, we covered the idea of remote procedure calls. We discussed difficulties encountered when one attempts to implement a remote procedure call. Name four of the difficulties. There are additional complications when the procedure executes a system call. What are the complications, and how might you fix them?

User TuomasK
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Final answer:

Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) can present difficulties in network communication, data representation, security, and error handling. When executing a system call, complications can arise regarding resource availability, address space isolation, and resource usage monitoring.

Step-by-step explanation:

Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) can present several difficulties during implementation. Four common challenges are:

  1. Network Communication: RPC involves passing messages between different systems over a network, which requires handling network failures, latency, and ensuring reliable delivery of messages.
  2. Data Representation: RPC must handle marshaling and unmarshaling of data between different programming languages and platforms to ensure compatibility.
  3. Security: RPC systems need to authenticate and authorize the client and server to ensure secure communication and protect against unauthorized access or malicious attacks.
  4. Error Handling: Handling errors that occur during RPC invocation or transmission is important to provide informative error messages and appropriate action to the caller.

Complications can arise when a remote procedure call executes a system call. Some challenges include:

  1. Resource Availability: The system call may need access to resources, such as files or devices, that are not available on the remote machine.
  2. Address Space Isolation: The execution of system calls may require direct access to the operating system's kernel, which could lead to security risks or instability.
  3. Resource Usage Monitoring: It can be challenging to monitor and control the resource usage of remote system calls to prevent abuse or ensure fair allocation of resources.

To address these complications when executing system calls, one possible solution is to use a lightweight virtualization technology, such as containers, to provide a controlled and isolated environment for executing system calls on remote machines.

User AbhinayMe
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