Formalising solutions to network availability issues in low-resource environments

An offline storage design pattern for software systems

Abstract

In most software systems operating within low-resource environments, the persistently encountered challenges related to network availability often result in compromised performance or even complete system failure. To address this issue, software developers frequently resort to ad hoc measures to mitigate these challenges. To offer a more comprehensive solution, this paper introduces an all-encompassing approach in the form of a design pattern. This design pattern uses offline functionalities with localised storage, emphasising the distinction between offline storage and synchronisation, presenting a versatile and high-level methodology for overcoming the recurrent network-related challenges intrinsic to low-resource environments. We describe the use of the design pattern in some real-world use cases, thereby illustrating how a single design pattern is the foundation for many seemingly disparate software engineering approaches. This design pattern holds the potential to significantly redefine the manner in which network availability challenges are approached and addressed.