What Are Distributed Systems? – All You Need To Know
Introduction
Several computers in a distributed system interact with each other to meet a common objective. All the computers included in a distributed system may be kept in a single place, or they may be distributed all around the world. These computers are available anytime and outweigh performance compared to a single computer.
In this guide article, we will discuss distributed systems’ working and critical features. In addition, the benefits and drawbacks integrated with them will also be explained.
Understanding Distributing Systems
A single coherent system comprising multiple independent computers is a distributed system. Distributed databases of different workstations share their processing power and resources to create a single system. The communication network, several nodes, and the distributed middleware combine to create a distributed system.
The independent computing bodies interacting with each other are known as nodes. The information between multiple nodes is shared through the communication network. The software connecting the infrastructure of the network and the distributed applications is known as distributed middleware.
It increases the efficiency and reliability of the distributed systems, helping them interact, communicate and manage resources. In addition, it creates fault tolerance in the system by distributing data and workload across several nodes.
Explaining the Working of Distributed Systems
In distributed systems, any task is divided among multiple nodes or computers, allowing them to communicate and complete it. The working of distributed systems is discussed below.
Decentralized Entities
Multiple nodes are extended in real or virtually in distributed systems. They interact with each other and operate to accomplish a common task.
Communication
Components in a distributed system can use various tools and protocols, such as HTTP, IP, etc., to interact with each other. Nodes can send or receive texts through these tools and communicate efficiently.
Coordination
Distributed systems use different mechanisms, distributed transactions, consensus protocols, or algorithms to ensure coordination.
Fault Tolerance
A distributed system should be created in a way that it can tolerate different flaws of any node or other component. For this purpose, these systems use partitioning strategies, replication, or redundancy methods.
Key Features of Distributed Systems
Distributed systems are traditionally concurrent, allowing multiple computers or systems to operate together. However, in some cases, it might create a deadlock in the network. It results in blocking different processes, creating a barrier in the system. In addition, distributed systems add scalability to the network. Horizontal scaling is possible by the addition of more nodes helping to accommodate and increase the number of users.
Another key feature associated with distributed systems is transparency. It allows the user to access all services and resources while retaining the security of the underlying network. Consistency is another important attribute of distributed systems. Users can preserve their data across multiple nodes in case of any failure.
Several Types of Distributed Systems
The client-server architecture is an essential type of distributed system. The client proposes a request to the server. The server then processes it and performs the function accordingly. Another type is Peer-to-peer architecture. In such a system, the clients and servers are treated equally. Another category is the distributed database system. In this system, data is distributed and administered among several nodes.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Distributed Systems
Compared to traditional systems, distributed systems offer multiple benefits to users. They help in data management, providing scalability to the system. A large number of nodes can handle heavy data traffic easily. Fault tolerance is a significant benefit of distributed systems. It helps in balancing any failure of the node or component.
However, managing computer coordination is a significant flaw of distributed systems. Moreover, these systems create a complex network that might become difficult to handle. Maintaining them requires proper knowledge and training.
Conclusion
Distributed systems might provide multiple opportunities in the future as grid computing and cluster computing are emerging as a technology. These technologies ensure providing high-performance services to users at affordable prices.
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