HAWK: A Workload-driven Hierarchical Deadlock Detection Approach in Distributed Database System

Distributed databases are widely used in various fields, such as financial services and e-commerce. These businesses generally exhibit characteristics of large-scale and rapid growth. However, these business systems often suffer from deadlocks that prevent them from operating normally for extended periods. Traditional deadlock detection methods face challenges in scalability and efficiency, especially as the number of nodes increases. Therefore, deadlock detection has always been a research area in distributed databases.

In this paper, we introduce an efficient deadlock detection algorithm called HAWK, leveraging a H ierarchical A pproach based on W or K load modeling. Our algorithm addresses these issues by constructing a dynamic hierarchical detection tree that adapts to transaction patterns, significantly reducing time complexity and communication overhead. HAWK first models the workload and generates a predicted access graph (PAG), transforming the problem of partitioning detection task in the basic hierarchical detection into partition detection zone (DZ) in the PAG by a graph-cutting algorithm. Then, leveraging the properties of strongly connected components (SCCs) and deadlock cycles, the SCC-cut algorithm naturally partitions the system-wide deadlock detection into multiple non-intersecting detection zones, thereby enhancing detection efficiency. We used the greedy SCC-cut algorithm to perform a more fine-grained partitioning of the complex PAG. Finally, by periodically sampling and updating the hierarchical structure, the algorithm remains responsive to dynamic workload variations, ensuring efficient detection. Our approach outperforms both centralized and distributed methods, offering a more efficient and adaptive solution. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the HAWK algorithm, showing significant reductions in the duration of the deadlock and improved system throughput.