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+# Overview #
+
+`xdist` works by spawning one or more **workers**, which are controlled
+by the **master**. Each **worker** is responsible for performing 
+a full test collection and afterwards running tests as dictated by the **master**.
+
+The execution flow is:
+
+1. **master** spawns one or more **workers** at the beginning of
+   the test session. The communication between **master** and **worker** nodes makes use of 
+   [execnet](http://codespeak.net/execnet/) and its [gateways](http://codespeak.net/execnet/basics.html#gateways-bootstrapping-python-interpreters).
+   The actual interpreters executing the code for the **workers** might
+   be remote or local. 
+  
+1. Each **worker** itself is a mini pytest runner. **workers** at this
+   point perform a full test collection, sending back the collected 
+   test-ids back to the **master** which does not
+   perform any collection itself.
+     
+1. The **master** receives the result of the collection from all nodes.
+   At this point the **master** performs some sanity check to ensure that
+   all **workers** collected the same tests (including order), bailing out otherwise.
+   If all is well, it converts the list of test-ids into a list of simple
+   indexes, where each index corresponds to the position of that test in the
+   original collection list. This works because all nodes have the same 
+   collection list, and saves bandwidth because the **master** can now tell
+   one of the workers to just *execute test index 3* index of passing the
+   full test id.
+   
+1. If **dist-mode** is **each**: the **master** just sends the full list
+   of test indexes to each node at this moment.
+   
+1. If **dist-mode** is **load**: the **master** takes around 25% of the
+   tests and sends them one by one to each **worker** in a round robin
+   fashion. The rest of the tests will be distributed later as **workers**
+   finish tests (see below).
+   
+1. **workers** re-implement `pytest_runtestloop`: pytest's default implementation
+   basically loops over all collected items in the `session` object and executes
+   the `pytest_runtest_protocol` for each test item, but in xdist **workers** sit idly 
+   waiting for **master** to send tests for execution. As tests are
+   received by **workers**, `pytest_runtest_protocol` is executed for each test. 
+   Here it worth noting an implementation detail: **workers** always must keep at 
+   least one test item on their queue due to how the `pytest_runtest_protocol(item, nextitem)` 
+   hook is defined: in order to pass the `nextitem` to the hook, the worker must wait for more 
+   instructions from master before executing that remaining test. If it receives more tests, 
+   then it can safely call `pytest_runtest_protocol` because it knows what the `nextitem` parameter will be. 
+   If it receives a "shutdown" signal, then it can execute the hook passing `nextitem` as `None`. 
+   
+1. As tests are started and completed at the **workers**, the results are sent
+   back to the **master**, which then just forwards the results to 
+   the appropriate pytest hooks: `pytest_runtest_logstart` and 
+   `pytest_runtest_logreport`. This way other plugins (for example `junitxml`)
+   can work normally. The **master** (when in dist-mode **load**) 
+   decides to send more tests to a node when a test completes, using
+   some heuristics such as test durations and how many tests each **worker**
+   still has to run.
+   
+1. When the **master** has no more pending tests it will
+   send a "shutdown" signal to all **workers**, which will then run their 
+   remaining tests to completion and shut down. At this point the 
+   **master** will sit waiting for **workers** to shut down, still
+   processing events such as `pytest_runtest_logreport`.
+ 
+## FAQ ##
+
+> Why does each worker do its own collection, as opposed to having 
+the master collect once and distribute from that collection to the workers?
+
+If collection was performed by master then it would have to 
+serialize collected items to send them through the wire, as workers live in another process. 
+The problem is that test items are not easily (impossible?) to serialize, as they contain references to 
+the test functions, fixture managers, config objects, etc. Even if one manages to serialize it, 
+it seems it would be very hard to get it right and easy to break by any small change in pytest. 
+  
+