Distributed Computer System - Essay Example

? Distributed Computer System Here of 0 Reality of having a True Distributed Computer System The role of computer systems continues to evolve with businesses adopting it to execute various business operations. In business, computer systems have made significant inroad that have allowed business to achieve leverage on the use of data to support businesses transaction, as well as making strategic decisions. In particular, distribute computer systems have found use in business in areas such as business commerce where these systems have enabled business to achieve high levels of business performance. There are varied definitions of distributed systems, but most of them tend to have some commonalities. A distributed system is one that is made up of independent computer systems that work together and appear to those using it as a unified system (Mikkilineni, 2011). The core of a distribute computer systems is the interconnectedness between its components making users think of it as a single system. The development of distributed computer systems coincides with the increasing demand for distributed systems in business. For instance, businesses that require e-commerce applications are more likely to achieve greater benefits using a distributed computer system. The merits of deploying distributed computer systems have pushed for increased research that aims at refining how businesses deploy these systems. Research in the development of distributed computer systems reinforces the desire for computer professionals to overcome challenges in this field. Indeed, computer firms have made much progress in rolling out various types of distributed computer systems. Nonetheless, developing true distributed systems has been a challenge for computer professionals, but this has served as a catalyst for more research and innovations. In order to evaluate the reality of a true distributed computing environment, it is critical to look at the factors motivating the adoption of distributed systems. Description of current research on the development of appropriate sub-components of distributed computer systems will then follow. Finally, this essay will present a critical evaluation on the reality of having a true distribute system. 1.1 What are distributed computer systems? Distributed compute systems are an example of distributed system, which is a system that links heterogeneous systems through networks to offer users with a single system. Distribute computer systems bring together different components to create a unified system that can provide users with high performance (Mikkilineni, 2011). In a distributed computing environment, workstations connect to each other using networks enabling them to pool system resources. The use of distributed computer systems signals a shift from centralized systems because businesses and organizations are demanding re-centralization of the computing environment. The success of distributed systems rests in the interconnectedness of various components to achieve a unified system. Today, distributed computing environment, has made it possible because of different technologies that computer vendors develop. These technologies work together to create a coherent system that provides transparency to users, successfully hiding non-critical features from users. Use of distributed computers systems provide users with resources, as well as improved performance. With more improvement on technologies, supporting distributed systems, business and organization continue to adopt distributed computing environment. 1.2 Goals of distributed computer systems There are several incentives for using distributed systems over centralised systems. The merits of using distributed computer systems underscore the push for businesses and other organizations into adopting the distributed environment. These goals are: 1.2.1 Access to resources The first reason for the adopting of distributed systems is the demand for resources accessibility. Despite the ease, of developing centralised systems, sharing of resources remains a challenge that users face (Tanenbaum, 2007). To remedy this bottleneck, distributed computer systems allow users to access and share resources more easily. In addition, distributed computer systems stand out because it allows users to access information remotely not to mention giving administrators the ability to control these resources efficiently. Rather than having duplicate resources like printers, data servers and files, distributed computer systems allow uses to share these resources effectively. Through sharing of resources, user of distributed computer systems can collaborate on projects and exchange information in a seamless manner despite their physical location. 1.2.2 Transparency Transparency is another goal of distributed system. A true distributed system should be able to hide processes from users making it appear as a non-distributed system. Distributed computer systems portray themselves as unified systems through a number of strategies. First, a distributed computer system does not reveal the location of information to its users. Rather, it provides users with access to various resources without indicating their location. In addition, distributed computer system achieves transparency by hiding the difference architectures making the system function as a coherent system. The distributed computer system also hides the differences in naming of files are hidden from users making the system as transparent as possible. 1.2.3 Openness Openness is another central goal of developing distributed computer systems. When referring to computer systems, openness indicated the ability of the system to provide services to users as per the standards that describe the particular service. Openness is of central importance to distributed systems because of the many users who use the services that these systems offer. Without openness, it will not be possible for users to receive services that comply with their standards (Tanenbaum, 2007). With the development of distributed computing environment, the goal is to enable the system offer services in an open way and according to the standard of the end users. Distributed systems mainly achieve openness mainly with protocols that relay messages and other service to users using the appropriate syntax and semantics. 1.2.4 Scalability Scalability is another driver for development of distributed computer systems. When design a distributed computer system, the goal if often to engineer systems that are scalable on another of factors. For instance, a true distributed system must be able to scale up and allow more users add into the system. For instance, a distributed computer system must be able to take more users and adjusting the size of resources that users spend. In another dimension, a scalable system must be able to allow more users from different geographical position. Apart from these aspects, a scalable system must be one that allows administrative function to occur across different organization. Because of this aspect, true distributed systems must allow different administrators to work on the systems providing administrative roles despite their location. Given the potential of distributed computer systems, scalability becomes one of the pillars of the systems must possess. 2.0 Current research in distributed systems Development of distributed computer systems is an evolving process that seeks to reduce bottlenecks facing the realization of a true system. In addition, this process aims at meeting the goal of true distributed computer systems. In order to achieve the goals of true distributed system, vendors of computers hardware’s along with software developers have focussed on working on the various components that make constitute distributed systems. This section will look at the current achievements that developers have made in engineering these components for use in distributed computer systems. 2.1 Application Software Application software plays an pivotal role in enabling users to work in a distributed computing environment. In a distributed computer system, users have to access specific application software to meet their computing needs. These applications are different from conventional applications that run on centralized systems (Tanenbaum, 2007; Umar, 2004). For a true distributed computing environment, the application software running in the environment must allow all uses to access resources and services that the system provides. Development of distributed computer systems has motivated a shift from traditional software design methods to distributed software solutions. In a centralized system, developers take the system as closed confining in a centralised environment only. With the rise of distributed computer systems, developers are focussing on building application software that run on different computers. For instance, users can use distributed application software from any location within the system giving them all features found in that particular software. With the goal of transparency, distributed system, require application software that users can run when they connect to the system. In a distributed computer environment, application software is designed to follow client server architecture. In this paradigm, computers run applications installed in the distributed computer system. These computers request these applications by sending a request through specific software called the middle. Because of the interaction of the distributed application software, it is possible for users to work with various applications software’s regardless of their location. In the world of business, many application developers have been designed software to run across a distributed platform. For instance, Oracle a database software corporation has many application that are ready to run on any distributed system. There are many challenges of deploying applications in distributed systems. However, these challenges have been resolved using new software technologies that allow easily development of distributed application software. The use of technologies like web services has reinforced the use of the client server architecture to allow application software to run on distributed systems (Tanenbaum, 2007). With web-service architecture, it is possible for software developers to engineer application software that users can deploy across a distributed environment and most important from any remote locations. The potential of web services to serve as software components has made it possible for better-distributed applications software to emerge. Because of continued research and commitment towards solving software challenges in distributed computer systems, developers have created new software framework. Open source enthusiasts have worked towards releasing various frameworks that allow quick development of robust software for use in a distributed computing environment. The popularity of programming languages like Java and .Net family has made it possible for developers to spend less time in designing, coding and testing applications meant for distributed system. Largely, better-distributed applications have emerged to support rising popularity of distributed systems. 2.2 System Software Systems software plays an integral role in the success of distribute computer systems. With many computers that must work as a coherent unit, systems software allows various hardware components to work together creating transparency. The use of appropriate system software is a positive step towards developing a robust distributed computing environment. A typical distributed environment has software such as distributed operation system, middle-ware, and network operating system. In a distributed computer system, a distributed operating system serve as the basic system that provides distribute processing necessary to run applications in the system (Godbole, 2005). Before the implementation of distributed operating system, networked computers relied on network operating system such as NOVELL. However, recent research has paved way for better operating systems that organizations can deploy across their distributed system. With the development of new generation, distributed operating system, user of distributed computer systems are able to access resources and use them with transparency. There are many distributed operating systems such as Windows, Solaris, and MacOS. Despite the significant role of distributed operating systems, developing a versatile distributed operating system is not an easy process. Instead, many distributed operating system still have problems with their execution because of deadlocks (Umar, 2004). Nonetheless, many researches still focus on achieving better-distributed operating systems that can run with few bottlenecks. Resolution of these bottlenecks rests in resolving questions such as balancing workload and allocation of tasks between multiple processors. Advances in middleware have also opened new opportunities in distributed computing environment. The use of middleware has made it possible to resolve how application software interacts with the distributed operating system. With the middleware sitting between the distributed application, and services available in the distributed computing environment, vendors of such system software have managed to create better process flow in distributed computing. Despite the novelty of developing better middleware, vendors are still faced with challenges of designing middle that meet demand of changing application and security trade-off. These issues are of significant concern not to mention an impediment to the realization of a better system software to that distributed computer systems can use. 2.3 Control The strength of distributed computer system as open systems introduces a danger of lack of control. Because distributed computing environment allow customers and business to link together, there are chances that users can access information and misuse them. However, recent research has made it possible to enforce control in distributed computer environment (Umar, 2004). One of the strategies of achieving control is with the use of policy-based access control. This approach has a significant role of modelling users that are can access particular data within the system. However, the use of policy-based restriction is also a challenge to enforce given that distributed systems require many policy rules to control access. Nonetheless, various languages can help in defining the authorization requirement in a distributed system. Moreover, application firewalls along with XML can also provide policies for enforcing control. Access control lists can also provide control to objects within the distributed computing environment. Access list provide a technique for distributed systems to provide access to specific objects within a system (Anderson, 2010). For instance, users can have their workstation entry noted in the access list for them to access particular resources. Where users are not required to access particular resources, denying them entry is also possible using an access list, which will list their particular host to deny entry. Indeed, the use of access lists provides one of the techniques of limiting control among users. 2.4 Data storage and management Data storage and management is an essential part of distributed computing environment. Similar to centralized services, distributed systems must deal with data by storing them and allowing administrative personnel to manage them. In distributed system, use of servers has been a primary way for storing data (Anderson, 2010). However, lack of technologies complicated data storage because the use of single servers to hold data created a single point of failure. Because of these challenges, advanced data storage has emerged to reduce the challenges of old data storage paradigms. More recently, a new approach to data storage emerged—cloud storage, an approach that makes use of several databases in different localities to store data. With the increasing using of cloud storage, distributed systems can work more efficiently because data can be stored and retried from the cloud at any given time as long the system is running. However, the success of distributed computer system in terms of data storage rests on the availability of connection to cloud storage services. In terms of management, software vendors have developed many distributed database management tools that have improved on data management in the distributed computing environment. Currently, users deploy new software to manage their data in distributed computer system. For example, the use of NoSQL and XML database have revolutionised how users can manage data in the distributed environment. Most important, vendors are developing distributed file system, one that allow data storage in various storage devices that allow data retrieval to occur when user require to access them (Sobh, 2010). Another strategy of dealing with data is caching, which is a form of replication done by the user. This type of data management allows users to store data close to them, but it has a significant impact on the scalability of the entire system. 2.5 Communication Communication in a distributed computer system is one of the challenges that user of distributed computing environment has to contend. Despite the goal of distributed computer systems of being scalable, communication issue still affects such efforts. In many distributed computer systems, different workstations communicate with each other through synchronous communication. This form of communication is slow and unreliable because being point to point. When using a local areas network for a distributed computer system, it is possible have quick and efficient communication. However, current systems distributed computer systems are expansive and this makes communication a challenge. Nonetheless, recent technologies allow the use of asynchronous communication techniques that aim at reducing communication latencies. In this paradigm, distributed computer systems can execute other task as different applications wait to communicate with one another. Reducing the number of request sent to servers especially when user fill forms is also one of the common strategies that application use to ensure that communication are efficient with less latency. 2.6 Security The incentives of having a distributed computer system present security threat, as well. In distributed computer systems, security falls into two categories one dealing with authorization of data and concerns in communication processes. To ensure that distributed systems are secure, the focus has been to lock channels and create secure communication line. Security technologies in distributed computer systems prevent communication processes from modification or messages intercepted. This protection of messages allows workstations to communicate with one another in a confidential manner. Apart from secure channels, various technologies promote security via authorization. Authorization technologies reinforce confidentiality with encryption keys. Advances in cryptography have made it possible for communicating nodes to exchange data using keys that allow data to be encrypted and decrypted using a unique key. This has made communication more effective and secure in distributed systems, 3.0 Is a true distributed system a reality? There are significant advances in distributed computer technologies that have made this paradigm of computing more efficient. Nonetheless, some impediments prevent the development of true distributed computer systems. The challenge of new application software brings a challenge for system developers to keep up with the demand for better system software. In addition, challenges of efficient communication techniques that affect scalability still pose as challenges for distributed systems. The use of synchronous communication technologies and the bottlenecks of asynchronous communication also present a challenge that must be resolved, as well. The lack challenge of storage of data and need for cloud storage is yet another factor that prevent the developing of ideal distributed systems. Looking at the goals of distributed computer systems, there is no doubt many of this challenge pose problems their attainment. Until further researches are done and new, technologies developed, having true distributed computer system will remain a challenge for computer professionals to achieve. Bibliography Anderson, J.R., 2010. Security Engineering: A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed Systems. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Godbole, A., 2005. Operating systems. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Lubich, H., 1995. Towards a CSCW framework for scientific cooperation in Europe. Berlin New York: Springer-Verlag. Mikkilineni, R., 2011. Designing a new class of distributed systems. New York, NY: Springer. Sobh, T., 2010, Innovations in Computing Sciences and Software Engineering. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media B.V. Tanenbaum, A., 2007. Distributed systems : principles and paradigms. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Umar, A., 2004.Third generation distributed computing environments : middleware, web services, platforms, and architectures. S.l: NGE Solutions, Inc. Read More