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Questions and Answers
Which of the following distributed systems is NOT mentioned?
Which of the following distributed systems is NOT mentioned?
Independent things fail independently is a principle of distributed systems.
Independent things fail independently is a principle of distributed systems.
True
What is one consequence of distribution in distributed programming?
What is one consequence of distribution in distributed programming?
Information travels at the speed of light.
The CALM theorem is associated with ______ consistency models.
The CALM theorem is associated with ______ consistency models.
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Match the following terms with their descriptions:
Match the following terms with their descriptions:
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Which of the following is a focus of the text?
Which of the following is a focus of the text?
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The text elaborates on the idea that distance and time interact in distributed systems.
The text elaborates on the idea that distance and time interact in distributed systems.
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Name one of the algorithms mentioned that will be covered in the content.
Name one of the algorithms mentioned that will be covered in the content.
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What is scalability primarily concerned with?
What is scalability primarily concerned with?
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A scalable system will have increased administrative costs as more nodes are added.
A scalable system will have increased administrative costs as more nodes are added.
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What are the three aspects of growth that are particularly interesting to look at in scalable systems?
What are the three aspects of growth that are particularly interesting to look at in scalable systems?
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Latency refers to the state of being __________; delay, a period between the initiation of something and the occurrence.
Latency refers to the state of being __________; delay, a period between the initiation of something and the occurrence.
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Match the following definitions with their corresponding terms:
Match the following definitions with their corresponding terms:
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of performance?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of performance?
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Geographic scalability allows the use of multiple data centers to improve response times.
Geographic scalability allows the use of multiple data centers to improve response times.
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Why is low latency considered an interesting aspect of performance?
Why is low latency considered an interesting aspect of performance?
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The key challenge in a distributed system is the overhead from __________ and coordination.
The key challenge in a distributed system is the overhead from __________ and coordination.
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What is primarily meant by 'size scalability'?
What is primarily meant by 'size scalability'?
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Which of the following is NOT a high-level goal of distributed systems?
Which of the following is NOT a high-level goal of distributed systems?
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The CAP theorem states that it is impossible for a distributed data store to simultaneously provide all three guarantees: Consistency, Availability, and Partition tolerance.
The CAP theorem states that it is impossible for a distributed data store to simultaneously provide all three guarantees: Consistency, Availability, and Partition tolerance.
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What two basic tasks must any computer system accomplish?
What two basic tasks must any computer system accomplish?
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The two basic methods of replication discussed include __________ and Paxos.
The two basic methods of replication discussed include __________ and Paxos.
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Match the terms with their definitions:
Match the terms with their definitions:
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What is a common challenge faced in distributed systems that can affect performance?
What is a common challenge faced in distributed systems that can affect performance?
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Weak consistency guarantees are always preferable to strong consistency in all distributed systems.
Weak consistency guarantees are always preferable to strong consistency in all distributed systems.
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What is the primary advantage of high-end hardware in the context of distributed systems?
What is the primary advantage of high-end hardware in the context of distributed systems?
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Adding a new machine ideally __________ the performance and capacity of a distributed system.
Adding a new machine ideally __________ the performance and capacity of a distributed system.
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Which consistency model is associated with CRDTs and the CALM theorem?
Which consistency model is associated with CRDTs and the CALM theorem?
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What does fault tolerance in a system refer to?
What does fault tolerance in a system refer to?
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An anomaly is considered the same as an error in system behavior.
An anomaly is considered the same as an error in system behavior.
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What are the two physical factors that constrain distributed systems?
What are the two physical factors that constrain distributed systems?
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The minimum latency for communication between distant nodes increases with _____ distance.
The minimum latency for communication between distant nodes increases with _____ distance.
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Match the types of models with their descriptions:
Match the types of models with their descriptions:
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Which of the following best describes an effective abstraction in a distributed system?
Which of the following best describes an effective abstraction in a distributed system?
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Increasing the number of nodes in a distributed system generally improves availability.
Increasing the number of nodes in a distributed system generally improves availability.
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What is a primary criterion implied in the discussion of system design that relates to user comprehension?
What is a primary criterion implied in the discussion of system design that relates to user comprehension?
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A system that makes _____ guarantees may allow for greater performance but can be harder to reason about.
A system that makes _____ guarantees may allow for greater performance but can be harder to reason about.
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What generally happens when geographic distance increases in a distributed system?
What generally happens when geographic distance increases in a distributed system?
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What does 'latency' refer to in the context described?
What does 'latency' refer to in the context described?
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A system with no changes should have a latency problem.
A system with no changes should have a latency problem.
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What is the formula for availability?
What is the formula for availability?
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In a distributed system, latency is not impacted by the amount of old data but by the speed at which new data becomes __________.
In a distributed system, latency is not impacted by the amount of old data but by the speed at which new data becomes __________.
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Match the following availability percentages with their allowed downtime per year:
Match the following availability percentages with their allowed downtime per year:
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What primarily affects the availability of a system?
What primarily affects the availability of a system?
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Fault tolerance in a distributed system ensures that it can remain operational even when some components fail.
Fault tolerance in a distributed system ensures that it can remain operational even when some components fail.
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What is the minimum latency in a distributed system primarily limited by?
What is the minimum latency in a distributed system primarily limited by?
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Availability is assessed as a percentage, such as __________ for three nines.
Availability is assessed as a percentage, such as __________ for three nines.
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Which of the following allows a distributed system to tolerate failures?
Which of the following allows a distributed system to tolerate failures?
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What assumption is made about messages in distributed algorithms when considering network reliability?
What assumption is made about messages in distributed algorithms when considering network reliability?
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A network partition occurs when nodes stop operating while the network remains functional.
A network partition occurs when nodes stop operating while the network remains functional.
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What is the term for when messages may be lost or delayed due to network issues?
What is the term for when messages may be lost or delayed due to network issues?
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In distributed systems, _________ messages can be lost.
In distributed systems, _________ messages can be lost.
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Match the following types of node failures with their descriptions:
Match the following types of node failures with their descriptions:
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What is the primary benefit of strong consistency in replication models?
What is the primary benefit of strong consistency in replication models?
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Weaker consistency models can provide lower latency and higher availability.
Weaker consistency models can provide lower latency and higher availability.
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What does the term 'abstraction' refer to in distributed systems?
What does the term 'abstraction' refer to in distributed systems?
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The tension between multiple nodes and the desire for a system to work like a __________ is a key consideration in distributed programming.
The tension between multiple nodes and the desire for a system to work like a __________ is a key consideration in distributed programming.
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Match the following consistency models with their characteristics:
Match the following consistency models with their characteristics:
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Which of the following reflects the essence of abstraction according to the content?
Which of the following reflects the essence of abstraction according to the content?
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What does the CAP theorem address?
What does the CAP theorem address?
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Why are impossibility results important in distributed systems?
Why are impossibility results important in distributed systems?
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Every situation in distributed systems is unique, making abstraction unnecessary.
Every situation in distributed systems is unique, making abstraction unnecessary.
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The simplicity of a consistency model is crucial because it provides clean semantics for __________.
The simplicity of a consistency model is crucial because it provides clean semantics for __________.
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Which of the following best describes the environment in a distributed system?
Which of the following best describes the environment in a distributed system?
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Nodes in a distributed system can fail and recover independently.
Nodes in a distributed system can fail and recover independently.
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What type of failure model do most distributed systems assume?
What type of failure model do most distributed systems assume?
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A robust system model makes ___ assumptions about its environment.
A robust system model makes ___ assumptions about its environment.
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Match the following properties of nodes with their descriptions:
Match the following properties of nodes with their descriptions:
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Which of the following is a characteristic of communication links in a distributed system?
Which of the following is a characteristic of communication links in a distributed system?
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Byzantine fault tolerance is commonly handled in real-world commercial systems.
Byzantine fault tolerance is commonly handled in real-world commercial systems.
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What is one consequence of having local knowledge in distributed systems?
What is one consequence of having local knowledge in distributed systems?
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Communication links in a distributed system allow messages to be sent in ___ direction(s).
Communication links in a distributed system allow messages to be sent in ___ direction(s).
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What characteristic is NOT associated with nodes in a distributed system?
What characteristic is NOT associated with nodes in a distributed system?
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What are the two basic techniques to handle data sets in distributed systems?
What are the two basic techniques to handle data sets in distributed systems?
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Partitioning allows partitions to fail independently, increasing the overall system availability.
Partitioning allows partitions to fail independently, increasing the overall system availability.
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What is the main purpose of data replication in distributed systems?
What is the main purpose of data replication in distributed systems?
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The _____ theorem addresses the challenges of achieving both availability and consistency in distributed systems.
The _____ theorem addresses the challenges of achieving both availability and consistency in distributed systems.
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Match the following techniques with their main benefits:
Match the following techniques with their main benefits:
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What is a common challenge faced when partitioning data?
What is a common challenge faced when partitioning data?
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Replication reduces latency but can complicate the consistency of the dataset.
Replication reduces latency but can complicate the consistency of the dataset.
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What should a system designer assess when picking between replication and partitioning?
What should a system designer assess when picking between replication and partitioning?
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The technique of _____ allows for parallel processing by dividing the dataset into smaller independent sets.
The technique of _____ allows for parallel processing by dividing the dataset into smaller independent sets.
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Which of the following best describes replication?
Which of the following best describes replication?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Distributed Systems
- Recent distributed systems include Amazon's Dynamo, Google's BigTable, and Apache's Hadoop.
- Main ideas are accessibility, key concepts for further reading, and understanding core constraints of distributed programming.
- Two crucial aspects: information travels at light speed and independent failures occur independently.
- Focus on interaction between distance, time, and consistency models in commercial data centers.
- Key protocols and new methods like CRDTs and the CALM theorem are introduced.
Basics of Distributed Systems
- Distributed programming solves problems using multiple computers instead of a single machine.
- Central tasks: storage and computation, often due to size and cost constraints.
- Commodity hardware offers the best value at scale, emphasizing fault-tolerant software.
- Performance improvements are limited by communication bottlenecks between nodes.
- Scalability principles define how performance and capacity must improve with added nodes.
Key Concepts of Scalability
- Scalability is the ability to manage growing workloads without performance degradation.
- Size scalability: More nodes should enhance performance linearly.
- Geographic scalability: Multiple data centers reduce response times and manage latency.
- Administrative scalability: Adding nodes shouldn't increase administrative overhead.
- Performance metrics include response time, throughput, and resource utilization, each with its own tradeoffs.
Performance and Latency
- Performance measures the useful work relative to time and resources used.
- Latency refers to the delay between an action and its observable effect, linked to physical travel times and hardware limits.
- Minimum latency cannot be avoided, constrained by speed of light and hardware operations.
- High latency in distributed systems can arise from operational distance and requires careful management.
Availability and Fault Tolerance
- System availability reflects the proportion of time a system functions correctly.
- Fault tolerance is the system's capacity to handle failures gracefully without complete breakdown.
- Redundancy is key for high availability across various components (nodes, servers, data centers).
- Availability metrics are quantified (e.g., 99.999% equates to about 5 minutes of downtime annually).
Constraints in Distributed Systems
- Two major physical limitations: node count and inter-node distance, impacting performance and administrative costs.
- More independent nodes raise failure probabilities, reducing overall system reliability.
- Distance contributes to communication latency, necessitating careful system design to mitigate downsides.
Abstractions and Models
- Abstractions simplify complex systems by identifying relevant facets pertinent to solving specific problems.
- Different models, such as system models (synchronous/asynchronous) and consistency models (strong/eventual), provide clarity.
- Effective abstractions enhance operability but must balance performance with comprehensibility.
Data Distribution Techniques
- Key methods for organizing data are partitioning and replication.
- Partitioning divides datasets for parallel processing, enhancing performance and resilience to independent failures.
- Replication copies data to multiple nodes, improving availability and reducing latency for client interactions.
- Choosing between methods is dependent on application needs and performance criteria.
Summary of Design Techniques
- Smart system design leverages partitioning to manage data growth while ensuring operational efficiency and independent node reliability.
- Understanding and applying distributed algorithms critically shapes successful implementation, aligning with specific system goals.### Partitioning and Replication
- Partitioning involves dividing data into segments optimized for expected access patterns.
- Independent partitions can lead to inefficiencies, such as cross-partition access and uneven growth rates.
- Replication creates copies of data across multiple servers, enhancing computation and reducing latency.
Advantages of Replication
- Increases performance by providing additional computing power and bandwidth through data copies.
- Enhances availability by having multiple copies of data, requiring more failures before downtime occurs.
- Supports scaling and fault tolerance in systems.
- Addresses slow computation and I/O by replicating data to reduce latency and improve throughput.
Consistency Models
- The consistency model determines how replicated data remains synchronized across nodes.
- Strong consistency allows programming as if data isn't replicated, ensuring reliability.
- Weaker consistency models can reduce latency and enhance availability but may complicate programming semantics.
Levels of Abstraction
- Distributed programming involves managing multiple nodes while striving for a unified system experience.
- Abstractions simplify complex systems but inevitably exclude unique aspects of each scenario.
- Proper abstractions allow for manageable problem statements while retaining essential characteristics.
System Models in Distributed Systems
- Distributed systems operate with no shared memory or synchronized clocks; nodes execute concurrently and independently.
- Nodes possess local knowledge only, leading to potential delays or inaccuracies in global state representation.
- Failures can occur independently, complicating system behavior.
Assumptions and Properties
- System models specify assumptions regarding nodes, communication links, and timing.
- Robust models are based on minimal assumptions, increasing algorithmic tolerance to diverse environments.
- Nodes are designed to execute programs, with capabilities for volatile and stable data storage.
Communication and Network Links
- Links connect nodes and facilitate message passing, often with assumptions of FIFO ordering and possible message loss.
- A network partition can disrupt communication without node failures, causing messages to be lost or delayed.
- Understanding failure models is crucial; most systems use a crash-recovery model, while Byzantine fault tolerance addresses arbitrary faults but is rarely practical.
Impossibility Results
- Impossibility results clarify limitations within distributed systems based on specific assumptions or constraints.
- They highlight essential characteristics that must be preserved in system design for optimal performance and reliability.
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Description
Test your knowledge on distributed systems concepts, including principles like independent failures and consistency models such as the CALM theorem. This quiz covers various key aspects of distributed programming and matching relevant terms to their definitions.