End-to-End Arguments in System Design
ACM Transactions on Computer Systems, 1984 · paper · Computer science
Presents the end-to-end argument, a design principle for placing functions in distributed systems. It holds that functions at low levels may be redundant or of little value compared with their cost, and are justified there only as performance enhancements.
Checked: PDF from web.mit.edu, fetched 4 Oct 2026. Page numbers are those of that PDF.
1 finding
Reference or label Reference 7 reads "Bell System Technical Journal 53, 5 (part 1), (September, 1964) p. 1841". The volume number 53 does not match the 1964 date.
- p. 10 Reference 7
Bell System Technical Journal 53, 5 (part 1), (September, 1964) p. 1841.
- p. 10 Reference 7
Bell System Technical Journal 53, 5 (part 1), (September, 1964)
Only the authors can say what is right here.
Judge's note: Rests on outside knowledge: BSTJ volume 1 is 1922, so the 1964 volume is 43 and volume 53 is 1974. The page image clearly shows "53" and "1964". Nothing inside the paper settles which field is wrong.
Second check: another model agreed
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9 minor (typos and the like; most checked by the judge only)
Wording The retry passage says "occasionally a second or even third try might be required; one would probably consider two or more failures on the same file transfer attempt as indicating that some part of the system is in need of repair". A third try already follows two failures.
- p. 3 End-to-end caretaking, paragraph on retry frequency
occasionally a second or even third try might be required; one would probably consider two or more failures on the same file transfer attempt as indicating that some part of the system is in need of repair
Judge's note: I read the p.3 image. A third try implies two failed attempts, which meets the "two or more failures" repair criterion. The sentence can be read consistently: a third try is occasionally needed, and when it is, that signals a problem. Because of that reading, and because the wording is hedged ("probably"), I treat this as a wording ambiguity rather than an error.
Second check: another model agreed
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Typo The title-page footnote reads "Published in ACM Transactions in Computer Systems 2, 4, November, 1984", but reference 13 names the same journal "ACM Transactions on Computer Systems".
- p. 1 Title footnote, publication note
Published in ACM Transactions in Computer Systems 2, 4, November, 1984
- p. 10 Reference 13
ACM Transactions on Computer Systems 1, 1 (February, 1983)
- p. 1 Title-page footnote
Published in ACM Transactions in Computer Systems 2, 4
- p. 10 References, entry 13
ACM Transactions on Computer Systems 1, 1
Judge's note: I checked both page images. The p.1 footnote prints "Transactions in Computer Systems" and ref. 13 on p.10 prints "Transactions on Computer Systems". They are the same journal, so the paper is inconsistent with itself, and the evident fix is "on".
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo The title footnote has doubled punctuation ".:" in "Massachusetts 02139.: D.P. Reed" and in "pp. 509-512.: Copyright 1981".
- p. 1 Title footnote
Massachusetts 02139.: D.P. Reed
- p. 1 Title footnote, conference note
pp. 509-512.: Copyright 1981
Judge's note: Both ".:" sequences are visible in the typeset footnote on p.1, so this is not an extraction artefact. It looks like a separator left over from the Scribe source. The defect is cosmetic only.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Misspelling on p.7: "requires subtlety of analyis of application requirements" should read "analysis".
- p. 7 Identifying the ends, first sentence
requires subtlety of analyis of application
- p. 7 Identifying the ends, first sentence
subtlety of analyis of application
Judge's note: The p.7 image shows "analyis" in the typeset text.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Grammar on p.8: "Those high-level auditing procedures will uncover not only high-level mistakes ..., it will also detect low-level mistakes" uses singular "it" for plural "procedures" and breaks the "not only ... but also" construction.
- p. 8 History section, banking example
Those high-level auditing procedures will uncover not only high-level mistakes such as performing a withdrawal against the wrong account, it will also detect
Judge's note: The p.8 image shows the wording as quoted. The meaning is clear, so the defect is cosmetic.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Punctuation on p.8: "replace the call if it matters[7]: All of these design approaches" has a colon where a full stop is needed before the capitalised new sentence.
- p. 8 History, paragraph on application systems
replace the call if it matters[7]: All of these design approaches
Judge's note: The p.8 image shows a colon followed by a capital "All", which starts a new sentence.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Reference 8 has doubled punctuation ".:" in "user-computer communication.: S.M. thesis".
- p. 10 Reference 8
communication.: S.M. thesis
Judge's note: The ".:" is visible in the p.10 image. It is the same leftover-separator pattern as C002, but in a different place. The defect is cosmetic.
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Reference 16 has a comma inside the parentheses: "(November, 1977,) pp.43-56."
- p. 10 Reference 16
(November, 1977,) pp.43-56.
Judge's note: The p.10 image shows "1977,)". Other entries put the comma after the parenthesis, for example ref. 11 "(December, 1978), pp.993-999".
Second check: none (judge only)
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Typo Reference 5 gives the book title as "Operating System: An Advanced Course" (singular).
- p. 10 Reference 5
In Operating System: An Advanced Course.
Only the authors can say what is right here.
Judge's note: Rests on outside knowledge: LNCS volume 60 (Springer, 1978) is titled "Operating Systems: An Advanced Course". The p.10 image shows "Operating System:" with no final s.
Second check: none (judge only)