The Actor Model is a conceptual framework used in software architecture to manage concurrency in distributed systems. It defines a system as composed of autonomous entities known as "actors," which interact with each other solely through asynchronous messages. This model helps in designing systems that are scalable and can handle high levels of concurrency without the complexities associated with traditional approaches like threading and locking.
Key Principles of the Actor Model
Autonomy of Actors: Each actor in the Actor Model operates independently and encapsulates its own state and behavior. Actors perform computations and make decisions based on the messages they receive[1][6].
Asynchronous Messaging: Communication between actors is exclusively done via messages. These messages are sent asynchronously, meaning the sender does not wait for a response and can continue processing other tasks[1][3].
Decentralization: There is no central control in the Actor Model; each actor works independently and only interacts with other actors through message passing. This decentralization is crucial for building fault-tolerant systems where the failure of one component does not halt the entire system[1].
Dynamic System Composition: Actors can create more actors and send messages to them, allowing the system to reconfigure dynamically in response to the current workload or external conditions[1].
Isolation of State: The state of an actor is private and can only be affected indirectly through messa...
