Definition ∞ A mutual exclusion protocol is a method or algorithm designed to prevent multiple processes or users from simultaneously accessing a shared resource in a distributed system. This ensures that only one process can execute a critical section of code or modify shared data at any given time, thereby maintaining data consistency and avoiding race conditions. It is a foundational concept in concurrent programming and distributed computing. Such protocols are essential for system reliability.
Context ∞ In the context of blockchain and decentralized systems, mutual exclusion protocols are critical for managing access to shared ledger states and preventing conflicting transactions. These protocols are particularly relevant in sharding mechanisms or layer-2 solutions where multiple components might attempt to update the same data concurrently. Ensuring correct and efficient mutual exclusion is vital for the scalability and integrity of distributed networks. News often discusses the performance and security implications of different concurrency control methods in blockchain architecture.
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