This research aims at the modelling, design and implementation of a set of novel efficient and atomic group communication protocols. The research will investigate a new model, called heuristic logical token ring for a process group. Unlike existing approaches, a set of heuristic (intelligent) algorithms will be derived to decide the dynamic token holder's position instead of searching the position sequentially. Thus the algorithms minimize message transmission cost and reduce unnecessary process synchronization.

The results of the research will make a contribution to network reliability and impact on information highway developments in Hong Kong, China and other parts of the world. The implemented system will provide the infrastructure for various distributed applications (e.g. distributed databases/knowledge-bases and object-oriented systems) and also can be used as a teaching/testing bed in universities.