Assumptions made for the simulated systems

The assumptions made for the distributed system that is simulated, are the followings:

• The topology of the simulated system can be any connected graph and only one process runs in every node.
• The communication between the processes is made by the exchange of messages.
• The transmition of messages is error-free, therefore no message can overtake another in a communication link.
• In every node only one event can happen at a time, therefore one message can be received at a time.
• The same protocol is running in every node and is called for execution every time an event occurs.
• The timing assumptions are flexible, so asynchronous, archimedean or synchronous protocols can be executed.
• Every node is initially in an idle state, called SLEEPING, and begins to execute the protocol (wakes up) either spontaneously (at a random time independent of the other nodes wake-up times in synchrony with the other nodes) or by the receipt of a message (protocol dependent).