Byte code Transformations for Distributed Threads in Java

In this paper, we study the shift of thread semantics that arises when adapting a centralized Java program for execution in a distributed environment. More specifically we focus on distributed applications that are developed by means of a distributed control flow programming model like Java RMI or OMG CORBA. The shift in thread semantics causes unexpected execution results or run-time errors if these differences were not taken into account by the programmer. We overcome this semantical gap between local and distributed programming by extending Java programming with the notion of distributed thread identity. Propagation of a globally unique, distributed thread identity provides a uniform mechanism by which all the program’s constituent objects involved in a distributed control flow can uniquely refer to that distributed thread as one and the same computational entity. We have implemented distributed thread identity by means of byte code transformation of application programs.