Distributed Systems Tutorial Last Updated : 21 Jun, 2025 Summarize Comments Improve Suggest changes Share Like Article Like Report A distributed system is a system of multiple nodes that are physically separated but linked together using the network. Each of these nodes includes a small amount of the distributed operating system software. Every node in this system communicates and shares resources with each other and handles processes in a team. Distributed systems are a growing trend as more and more applications migrate to the cloud. They allow improved performance, scalability, and fault tolerance compared to a traditional centralized system. This Distributed System tutorial will cover all the basic to advanced topics of distributed systems like communication, remote procedure calls, Distributed File Systems, Distributed shared memory, etc. to provide you with a thorough overview of distributed systems. In this Distributed System tutorial, we will go through the fundamentals, the difficulties in developing and putting distributed systems into practice, as well as the methods and tools employed to overcome these difficulties. You will discover more about distributed systems and their functioning at the tutorial's conclusion.Distributed System TutorialWhat are Distributed Systems?A distributed system includes multiple physically different nodes linked together using the network. All the nodes in this system communicate with each other and control processes in a team. Nodes include a small portion of the distributed operating system software. It connects multiple computers through a single channel. It uses many central processors to serve multiple real-time applications and users.Types of Distributed SystemsThere are two types of arrangement of distributed systems:Client/server systems: In client-server systems, the client requests a resource or file and the server fetches that resource. Users and servers usually communicate through a computer network, so they are a part of distributed systems. A client is in contact with just one server.Peer-to-peer systems: The peer-to-peer techniques contain nodes that are equal participants in data sharing. The nodes communicate with each other as needed to share resources. This is done with the help of a network. All the tasks are equally separated between all the nodes.Middleware: Middleware can be thought of as an application that sits between two separate applications and provides service to both. It works as a base for different interoperability applications running on different operating systems. Data can be transferred to other between others by using this service.Three-tier: Three-tier system uses a separate layer and server for each function of a program. In this data of the client is stored in the middle tier rather than sorted into the client system or on their server through which development can be done easily. It includes an Application Layer, Data Layer, and Presentation Layer. This is mostly used in web or online applications.N-tier: N-tier is also called a multitier distributed system. The N-tier system can contain any number of functions in the network. N-tier systems contain similar structures to three-tier architecture. When interoperability sends the request to another application to perform a task or to provide a service. N-tier is commonly used in web applications and data systems.Introduction to Distributed SystemWhat Is a Distributed SystemFeatures of distributed systemGoals of Distributed systemEvolution of Distributed Computing Systems Types of Transparency in a Distributed SystemWhat is Scalable System in Distributed System?Distributed Computing System Models Role of Middleware in a distributed systemDifference between Hardware and MiddlewareWhat is Groupware in Distributed System?What is a Distributed Operating System? Parallel computing vs Distributed computingLoosely coupled and tightly coupled systemDesign Issues of Distributed SystemIntroduction to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)Limitations of Distributed systemVarious Failures in a distributed systemTypes of Operating SystemsTypes of Distributed SystemsComparison – Centralized, Decentralized, and Distributed SystemsThree-tier client-server architecture in a distributed systemCommunication in Distributed SystemsIntroduction of Message PassingFeatures of a Good Message-Passing System Issues in IPC by Message Passing Synchronization in Distributed SystemMessage Buffering Multidatagram messages in a distributed systemGroup CommunicationRemote Procedure Calls in Distributed SystemWhat is RPC Mechanism in Distributed Systems?Transparency of RPCRPC Implementation Mechanism in Distributed SystemStub Generation in Distributed System Marshalling in Distributed SystemServer Management in a Distributed SystemParameter-Passing SemanticsCall Semantics issues in RPC Communication Protocols for RPCsClient-Server ModelLightweight RPC in a distributed systemRMI vs DCOMRPC vs RMISynchronization in Distributed SystemSynchronizationClock Synchronization Logical clockLamport's algorithmVector clocksEvent Ordering Distributed Mutual Exclusion and its classificationPerformance metrics for mutual exclusion algorithmCristian's algorithmBerkeley algorithmDifference between Token based and Non-Token based Algorithms in Distributed SystemsRicart algorithmToken-based algorithm (Suzuki Kasumi's broadcast algorithm)Source Management and Process ManagementIntroduction of Source ManagementFeatures of Global Scheduling Algorithm in Distributed SystemWhat is Task Assignment Approach in Distributed System?Load-Balancing Approach Load-Sharing ApproachDifference Between Load Balancing and Load Sharing in Distributed SystemsScheduling and Load Balancing in Distributed SystemIntroduction of process management in the distribution systemProcess Migration Distributed File System and Distributed shared memoryDFS Characteristics of File systemSun network file system architectureAndrew file systemFile Service Architecture in Distributed SystemFile Models in Distributed SystemFile-Accessing Models File-Sharing Semantics File-Caching Schemes What is Replication in Distributed System Fault Tolerance Atomic commit protocolDesign Principles of DFSWhat is Distributed shared memory and its advantagesThe architecture of Distributed shared memoryDifference between Uniform Memory Access (UMA) and Non-uniform Memory Access (NUMA)Design and implementation issue of distributed shared memory.False sharing in a distributed system Algorithm for implementing DSMConsistency models in distributed systemsThrashing in Distributed shared memoryDistributed Scheduling and DeadlockWhat are scheduling and load balancing in a distributed systemLoad balancing algorithmIssues related to Load balancing in DSComponents of load distributionPhantom deadlockDeadlock in a Distributed systemDeadlock Detection in Distributed SystemsA necessary condition for deadlock in a distributed systemDeadlock handling strategies in a distributed systemBanker's algorithm in a distributed systemDeadlock prevention policies: ordered request and collective requestA WFG-based distributed algorithm for deadlock detectionChandy-Misra-Haas's distributed deadlock detection algorithmHierarchical deadlock detectionSecurity in Distributed System What is security?Types of CyberattacksCryptographyAuthentication Implementation of Access Matrix in Distributed OSDigital Signatures and CertificatesDesign Principles of Security in a distributed systemDistributed Multimedia and Database SystemWhat is Distributed DBMS? Advantages and disadvantages of DDBMSFunctions of DDBMSTypes of DBMSComparison of Homogeneous and Heterogeneous databasesWhat are distributed multimedia system and its characteristics Multimedia database and application area of multimediaDistributed AlgorithmDestination based routingDeadlock-free packet switchingWave and traversal algorithmElection algorithm (Bully algorithm, Ring algorithm)Comparison between Ring and Bully algorithmCORBA (Object model, CORBA services)Difference between CORBA and DCOMCOM vs DCOMLifecycle of COMDistributed Component Object Model (DCOM) Distributed TransactionsWhat is a Distributed Transaction?Nested transactions and Flat transactionsConcurrency Control in Distributed TransactionsTransaction Recovery Introduction to Replication The mechanism for building a Distributed file systemTwo-phase commit protocol in the distributed systemAdvantages of Distributed SystemsSome advantages of Distributed Systems are as follows :Every node in the distributed system is connected to each other because they can share data with others easily.The addition of more nodes in the distributed system is easy.If one node gets failed, it does not lead to the failure of the entire distributed system. Other nodes run fine.Resources like printers can be communicated with multiple nodes.Disadvantages of Distributed SystemsSome disadvantages of Distributed Systems are as follows :In distributed systems, it is challenging to provide adequate security because both the nodes and the connections must be protected.In comparison to a single-user system, the database related to distributed systems is more complicated and difficult to manage.While traveling from one node to another node, some data may be lost in the network.ConclusionTo summarize, distributed systems are a powerful and increasingly popular technique to develop large-scale applications that demand great scalability, fault tolerance, and performance. A distributed system's design and implementation, however, can be a difficult process that calls for careful consideration of a number of elements, including network communication resource sharing and fault tolerance techniques.This tutorial has covered the fundamentals of distributed computing, distributed algorithms, distributed transactions, and the difficulties of creating and putting into practice distributed systems in this tutorial.It has given you a strong basis on which to design your own distributed system and continue exploring the world of distributed systems. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article What is a Distributed System? K kartik Follow Improve Article Tags : Computer Networks Tutorials Similar Reads Distributed Systems Tutorial A distributed system is a system of multiple nodes that are physically separated but linked together using the network. Each of these nodes includes a small amount of the distributed operating system software. Every node in this system communicates and shares resources with each other and handles pr 8 min read Basics of Distributed SystemWhat is a Distributed System?A distributed system is a collection of independent computers that appear to the users of the system as a single coherent system. These computers or nodes work together, communicate over a network, and coordinate their activities to achieve a common goal by sharing resources, data, and tasks.Table o 7 min read Types of Transparency in Distributed SystemIn distributed systems, transparency plays a pivotal role in abstracting complexities and enhancing user experience by hiding system intricacies. 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Middleware is the part of software that is the communication medium between application and opera 4 min read Difference between Parallel Computing and Distributed ComputingIntroductionParallel Computing and Distributed Computing are two important models of computing that have important roles in today’s high-performance computing. Both are designed to perform a large number of calculations breaking down the processes into several parallel tasks; however, they differ in 5 min read Difference between Loosely Coupled and Tightly Coupled Multiprocessor SystemWhen it comes to multiprocessor system architecture, there is a very fine line between loosely coupled and tightly coupled systems, and this is why that difference is very important when choosing an architecture for a specific system. A multiprocessor system is a system in which there are two or mor 5 min read Design Issues of Distributed SystemDistributed systems are used in many real-world applications today, ranging from social media platforms to cloud storage services. They provide the ability to scale up resources as needed, ensure data is available even when a computer fails, and allow users to access services from anywhere. However, 8 min read Communication & RPC in Distributed SystemsFeatures of Good Message Passing in Distributed SystemMessage passing is the interaction of exchanging messages between at least two processors. The cycle which is sending the message to one more process is known as the sender and the process which is getting the message is known as the receiver. In a message-passing system, we can send the message by 3 min read What is Message Buffering?Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a communication technology that is used by one program to make a request to another program for utilizing its service on a network without even knowing the network's details. The inter-process communication in distributed systems is performed using Message Passing. It 6 min read Group Communication in Distributed SystemsIn distributed systems, efficient group communication is crucial for coordinating activities among multiple entities. This article explores the challenges and solutions involved in facilitating reliable and ordered message delivery among members of a group spread across different nodes or networks.G 8 min read What is Remote Procedural Call (RPC) Mechanism in Distributed System?A remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a protocol in distributed systems that allows a client to execute functions on a remote server as if they were local. RPC simplifies network communication by abstracting the complexities, making it easier to develop and integrate distributed applications efficiently. 9 min read Stub Generation in Distributed SystemA stub is a piece of code that translates parameters sent between the client and server during a remote procedure call in distributed computing. An RPC's main purpose is to allow a local computer (client) to call procedures on another computer remotely (server) because the client and server utilize 3 min read Server Management in Distributed SystemEffective server management in distributed systems is crucial for ensuring performance, reliability, and scalability. This article explores strategies and best practices for managing servers across diverse environments, focusing on configuration, monitoring, and maintenance to optimize the operation 12 min read Difference Between RMI and DCOMIn this article, we will see differences between Remote Method Invocation(RMI) and Distributed Component Object Model(DCOM). Before getting into the differences, let us first understand what each of them actually means. RMI applications offer two separate programs, a server, and a client. There are 2 min read Synchronization in Distributed SystemSynchronization in Distributed SystemsSynchronization in distributed systems is crucial for ensuring consistency, coordination, and cooperation among distributed components. It addresses the challenges of maintaining data consistency, managing concurrent processes, and achieving coherent system behavior across different nodes in a netwo 11 min read Logical Clock in Distributed SystemIn distributed systems, ensuring synchronized events across multiple nodes is crucial for consistency and reliability. Enter logical clocks, a fundamental concept that orchestrates event ordering without relying on physical time. By assigning logical timestamps to events, these clocks enable systems 10 min read Event Ordering in Distributed SystemIn this article, we will look at how we can analyze the ordering of events in a distributed system. As we know a distributed system is a collection of processes that are separated in space and which can communicate with each other only by exchanging messages this could be processed on separate compu 4 min read Mutual exclusion in distributed systemMutual exclusion is a concurrency control property which is introduced to prevent race conditions. It is the requirement that a process can not enter its critical section while another concurrent process is currently present or executing in its critical section i.e only one process is allowed to exe 5 min read Berkeley's AlgorithmBerkeley's Algorithm is a clock synchronization technique used in distributed systems. The algorithm assumes that each machine node in the network either doesn't have an accurate time source or doesn't possess a UTC server.Algorithm 1) An individual node is chosen as the master node from a pool node 6 min read Difference between Token based and Non-Token based Algorithms in Distributed SystemA distributed system is a system in which components are situated in distinct places, these distinct places refer to networked computers which can easily communicate and coordinate their tasks by just exchanging asynchronous messages with each other. These components can communicate with each other 3 min read Source & Process ManagementWhat is Task Assignment Approach in Distributed System?A Distributed System is a Network of Machines that can exchange information with each other through Message-passing. It can be very useful as it helps in resource sharing. In this article, we will see the concept of the Task Assignment Approach in Distributed systems. Resource Management:One of the 6 min read Difference Between Load Balancing and Load Sharing in Distributed SystemA distributed system is a computing environment in which different components are dispersed among several computers (or other computing devices) connected to a network. This article clarifies the distinctions between load balancing and load sharing in distributed systems, highlighting their respecti 4 min read Process Migration in Distributed SystemProcess migration in distributed systems involves relocating a process from one node to another within a network. This technique optimizes resource use, balances load, and improves fault tolerance, enhancing overall system performance and reliability.Process Migration in Distributed SystemImportant 9 min read Distributed Database SystemA distributed database is basically a database that is not limited to one system, it is spread over different sites, i.e, on multiple computers or over a network of computers. A distributed database system is located on various sites that don't share physical components. This may be required when a 5 min read Multimedia DatabaseA Multimedia database is a collection of interrelated multimedia data that includes text, graphics (sketches, drawings), images, animations, video, audio etc and have vast amounts of multisource multimedia data. The framework that manages different types of multimedia data which can be stored, deliv 5 min read Mechanism for Building Distributed File SystemBuilding a Distributed File System (DFS) involves intricate mechanisms to manage data across multiple networked nodes. This article explores key strategies for designing scalable, fault-tolerant systems that optimize performance and ensure data integrity in distributed computing environments.Mechani 8 min read Distributed File SystemWhat is DFS (Distributed File System)? A Distributed File System (DFS) is a file system that is distributed on multiple file servers or multiple locations. It allows programs to access or store isolated files as they do with the local ones, allowing programmers to access files from any network or computer. In this article, we will discus 8 min read File Service Architecture in Distributed SystemFile service architecture in distributed systems manages and provides access to files across multiple servers or locations. It ensures efficient storage, retrieval, and sharing of files while maintaining consistency, availability, and reliability. By using techniques like replication, caching, and l 12 min read File Models in Distributed SystemFile Models in Distributed Systems" explores how data organization and access methods impact efficiency across networked nodes. This article examines structured and unstructured models, their performance implications, and the importance of scalability and security in modern distributed architectures 6 min read File Caching in Distributed File SystemsFile caching enhances I/O performance because previously read files are kept in the main memory. Because the files are available locally, the network transfer is zeroed when requests for these files are repeated. Performance improvement of the file system is based on the locality of the file access 12 min read What is Replication in Distributed System?Replication in distributed systems involves creating duplicate copies of data or services across multiple nodes. This redundancy enhances system reliability, availability, and performance by ensuring continuous access to resources despite failures or increased demand.Replication in Distributed Syste 9 min read What is Distributed Shared Memory and its Advantages?Distributed shared memory can be achieved via both software and hardware. Hardware examples include cache coherence circuits and network interface controllers. In contrast, software DSM systems implemented at the library or language level are not transparent and developers usually have to program th 4 min read Consistency Model in Distributed SystemIt might be difficult to guarantee that all data copies in a distributed system stay consistent over several nodes. The guidelines for when and how data updates are displayed throughout the system are established by consistency models. Various approaches, including strict consistency or eventual con 6 min read Distributed AlgorithmDeadlock-Free Packet SwitchingIn computer networks deadlock is the most serious system failure. Deadlocks are situations in which packets are stuck in a loop and can never reach their destination no matter what sequence of moves are performed. Deadlock must be observed and carefully handled to avoid system failure. Most of the n 6 min read Wave and Traversal Algorithm in Distributed SystemAs we know a distributed system is a collection where different processes in order to perform a task communicate with each other. In wave algorithm exchange of messages and decision take place, which depends on the number of messages in each event of a process. As it is important to traverse in a co 10 min read Election algorithm and distributed processingDistributed Algorithm is an algorithm that runs on a distributed system. Distributed system is a collection of independent computers that do not share their memory. Each processor has its own memory and they communicate via communication networks. Communication in networks is implemented in a proces 10 min read Introduction to Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) - Client-Server Software DevelopmentCommon Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) could be a specification of a regular design for middleware. It is a client-server software development model. Using a CORBA implementation, a shopper will transparently invoke a way on a server object, which may air a similar machine or across a net 3 min read Difference Between COM and DCOMCOM (Component Object Model) is a technology that enables software components to communicate within a single computer. It allows different parts of a program to interact and share data efficiently. DCOM (Distributed Component Object Model) extends COM's functionality to operate across multiple compu 6 min read Chandy-Misra-Haas's Distributed Deadlock Detection AlgorithmChandy-Misra-Haas's distributed deadlock detection algorithm is an edge chasing algorithm to detect deadlock in distributed systems. In edge chasing algorithm, a special message called probe is used in deadlock detection. A probe is a triplet (i, j, k) which denotes that process Pi has initiated the 4 min read Advanced Distributed SystemFlat & Nested Distributed TransactionsIntroduction : A transaction is a series of object operations that must be done in an ACID-compliant manner. Atomicity - The transaction is completed entirely or not at all.Consistency - It is a term that refers to the transition from one consistent state to another.Isolation - It is carried out sep 6 min read Transaction Recovery in Distributed SystemIn distributed systems, ensuring the reliable recovery of transactions after failures is crucial. This article explores essential recovery techniques, including checkpointing, logging, and commit protocols, while addressing challenges in maintaining ACID properties and consistency across nodes to en 10 min read Two Phase Commit Protocol (Distributed Transaction Management)Consider we are given with a set of grocery stores where the head of all store wants to query about the available sanitizers inventory at all stores in order to move inventory store to store to make balance over the quantity of sanitizers inventory at all stores. The task is performed by a single tr 5 min read Scheduling and Load Balancing in Distributed SystemIn this article, we will go through the concept of scheduling and load balancing in distributed systems in detail. Scheduling in Distributed Systems:The techniques that are used for scheduling the processes in distributed systems are as follows: Task Assignment Approach: In the Task Assignment Appro 7 min read Distributed System - Types of Distributed DeadlockA Deadlock is a situation where a set of processes are blocked because each process is holding a resource and waiting for another resource occupied by some other process. When this situation arises, it is known as Deadlock. DeadlockA Distributed System is a Network of Machines that can exchange info 4 min read Difference between Uniform Memory Access (UMA) and Non-uniform Memory Access (NUMA)In computer architecture, and especially in Multiprocessors systems, memory access models play a critical role that determines performance, scalability, and generally, efficiency of the system. The two shared-memory models most frequently used are UMA and NUMA. This paper deals with these shared-mem 5 min read Like