Distributed Systems Types Quiz

Study Notes

Client/Server Systems: a basic communication method where the client sends input to the server and the server replies with an output
Peer-to-Peer Systems: a decentralized model where each node performs its task on its local memory and shares data through a supporting medium, acting as both a server and client
Middleware: an application that sits between two separate applications, providing service to both, and enabling data transfer between them
Three-tier Systems: uses a separate layer and server for each function of a program, storing client data in the middle tier, and includes an Application Layer, Data Layer, and Presentation Layer
N-tier Systems: a multitier distributed system that contains any number of functions in the network, with similar structures to three-tier architecture

Resource Sharing: the ability to use any Hardware, Software, or Data anywhere in the System
Concurrency: the ability to perform the same activity or functionality simultaneously by separate users in remote locations
Scalability: the ability to increase the scale of the system as several processors communicate with more users, improving responsiveness
Transparency: hiding the complexity of the Distributed Systems from the Users and Application programs, ensuring privacy

Network latency: communication network latency affecting system performance
Distributed coordination: coordinating nodes in a distributed system, which can be challenging due to the distributed nature of the system
Data consistency: maintaining data consistency across multiple nodes in a distributed system

Cluster Computing: a collection of connected computers that work together as a unit to perform operations, functioning in a single system
- Advantages: high performance, easy to manage, scalable, expandable, available, flexible, cost-effective, and suitable for distributed applications
- Disadvantages: high cost, fault finding, space requirements, infrastructure needs, and security challenges
- Applications: web applications, data processing, complex computational problems, and weather modeling
Grid Computing: a network of computer systems, each belonging to a different administrative domain, differing in hardware, software, and implementation
- Advantages: solves complex problems quickly, enables collaboration, uses existing equipment, and makes licensing easier
- Disadvantages: evolving software and standards, learning curve, non-interactive job submission, connection requirements, and licensing issues
- Applications: organizations developing grid standards, middleware solutions, and meeting computing, data, and network needs

Distributed Transaction Processing: works across different servers using multiple communication models, with characteristics of atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI): bringing different businesses together, ensuring consistent information use, and reflecting changes in data
Remote Procedure Calls (RPC): a software element sending requests to other software elements, creating a local method name, and retrieving data through remote method invocation (RMI)
- Disadvantage: sender and receiver must be running at the time of communication

Pervasive Computing: integrating everyday objects with microprocessors, enabling communication
- Applications: home systems, electronic health systems, and sensor networks (IoT devices)
Sensor Network: internet devices sending data to the client, and now storing and processing data to manage it efficiently

Telecommunication Networks: peer-to-peer networks including telephone and cellphone networks
Parallel Processors: distributing tasks across numerous processors for parallel computing
Networks: Ethernet and LAN (Local Area Network) enabling computers to connect
Distributed Database Systems: dispersed across several servers or locations, either homogeneous or heterogeneous
Real-time Systems: found in various industries, emphasizing information exchange and processing, and requiring quick data communication to a wide range of users.