Consensus algorithms at scale: Part 1 - Introduction

This post serves as an introduction to a series on consensus algorithms at scale. It defines the fundamental problems that consensus algorithms address: distributed durability, availability, and automation. It also critiques traditional algorithms like Paxos and Raft for their rigidity in the face of evolving cloud infrastructures and introduces an engineering-focused, objective-based approach to dissecting and building more flexible consensus systems, with a preview of how Vitess will achieve these objectives.