Computer Sciences

ii iv vTo my parents, my wife, and my wonderful kids vi vii Acknowledgements My Ph.D. journey has been supported greatly by faculty, friends, and family mem-bers, without whom it would have not been exceptional. I would like to express my deep gratitude for these individuals. First and foremost, I would like to thank my three great advisors, Remzi H. Arpaci-Dusseau, Andrea C. Arpaci-Dusseau, and Haryadi S. Gunawi, for their countless guidance, advice, and lessons. Remzi, the research maestro, showed me how one could perform top-notch research effortlessly. Andrea’s meticulous guid-ance helped me sharpen many vital skills for a great researcher. Finally, Haryadi’s consistent, timely, effective, and invaluable detailed advice enabled me to first sur-vive and eventually enjoy every step of my Ph.D. journey. I also would like to thank Shan Lu and Menggang Yu, the other members of my thesis committee, for their great insights and feedback, which helped improve the quality of the dissertation. During my graduate life, I was fortunate to work on some projects with smar