10 Questions
What is a distributed system?
A collection of independent computers that appears as a single coherent system.
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a distributed system?
All components must be on the same operating system.
Why are some systems inherently distributed?
Due to the necessity of handling large-scale data and applications like file sharing and IoT.
What is the main advantage of using distributed systems for large online applications like Google or Amazon?
Scalability to handle large traffic and data processing needs.
What is fault tolerance in distributed systems?
The system's capacity to continue operating even if some components fail.
Distributed systems require all components to operate without any faults.
False
Scalability in distributed systems is achieved through horizontal scaling, adding more machines as needed.
True
Explain the concept of transparency in distributed systems.
Transparency in distributed systems refers to hiding the complexity of the system's processes and their physical distribution across multiple computers from the users, presenting the system as a single coherent entity.
What are the economic reasons for adopting distributed systems?
Economically, distributed systems allow for resource sharing and reduced costs by using clusters of commodity servers instead of more expensive mainframe computers. This setup also facilitates system scalability and fault tolerance.
Describe the role of asynchronous communication in distributed systems.
Asynchronous communication in distributed systems involves making a call and proceeding with other operations without waiting for a response. This mode helps in reducing tight coupling between system components and is useful for non-interactive applications or periodic information updates to clients.
Study Notes
Distributed Systems Definition
- A distributed system is a system composed of multiple components that work together to achieve a common goal.
Characteristics of Distributed Systems
- Not a characteristic of a distributed system: requiring all components to operate without any faults.
- Distributed systems are inherently distributed in some cases, such as when multiple machines or locations are needed to process a large amount of data or requests.
Advantages of Distributed Systems
- The main advantage of using distributed systems for large online applications like Google or Amazon is the ability to handle a large volume of requests and data.
Fault Tolerance
- Fault tolerance in distributed systems is the ability of the system to continue operating even when one or more components fail.
Scalability
- Scalability in distributed systems is achieved through horizontal scaling, adding more machines as needed to increase processing power and handle increased load.
Transparency
- Transparency in distributed systems means that the system hides its internal complexity and distribution from the user, making it appear as a single, unified system.
Economic Reasons
- Economic reasons for adopting distributed systems include the ability to scale up or down as needed, reducing the need for expensive hardware upgrades and improving resource utilization.
Asynchronous Communication
- Asynchronous communication in distributed systems allows components to communicate with each other independently, without waiting for a response from other components, improving system responsiveness and performance.
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