/*************************************************************************

"FreePastry" Peer-to-Peer Application Development Substrate 

Copyright 2002, Rice University. All rights reserved.

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********************************************************************************/

package rice.p2p.replication;

import rice.p2p.commonapi.*;

/**
 * @(#) Replication.java This interface is exported by Replication Manager (RM)
 * for any applications which need to replicate objects across k+1 nodes closest
 * to the object identifier in the NodeId space. The 'closest' (to the object
 * identifier) of the k+1 nodes is referred to as the 0-root in which the object
 * is stored by default when not using the replica manager. Additionally the RM
 * assists in maintaining the invariant that the object is also stored in the
 * other k nodes referred to as the i-roots (1<=i<=k). In the RM literature, k
 * is called the ReplicaFactor and is used when an instance of the replica
 * manager is being instantiated.
 *
 * @version $Id: Replication.java 2302 2005-03-11 00:58:26Z jeffh $
 * @author Alan Mislove
 */
public interface Replication {

  /**
   * Method which invokes the replication process. This should not normally be
   * called by applications, as the Replication class itself periodicly invokes
   * this process. However, applications are allowed to use this method to
   * initiate a replication request.
   */
  public void replicate();

}




