Comparing coordination models and architectures using embeddings

We refine the notion of embedding in order to obtain a formal tool for the comparison of the relative expressive power of different languages, by taking into account also the intended architectures on which the software components described using those languages are executed. The new notion, called architectural embedding, is suitable for the comparison of different communication mechanisms, and gives rise to a natural notion of implementability. We will use this notion to present equivalence and difference results for several coordination models based on components that communicate either through an unordered broadcast, through an atomic broadcast, or through a synchronous broadcast. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.