Conflict Resolution

CoFi detects conflicting modifications by tagging component versions with version numbers, which determine the partial order of modifications in the system. CoFi implements both client- and server-based conflict resolution. In client-based resolution, the local proxy fetches the conflicting version from the remote proxy, resolves the conflict and creates a new version that dominates the two conflicting versions. In server-based resolution, the client pushes its version to the remote proxy, and a resolver executing in the remote proxy creates a new version that merges the conflicting modifications.

When user intervention is necessary to resolve a conflict, conflict resolution is client-based. To facilitate conflict resolution, the application-specific resolution policy can use the application's exported API to present the conflicting component versions in the context of the application's environment.