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Network Operating Systems and Design Principles

The document discusses network operating systems and distributed operating systems. It defines network operating systems and describes common types like peer-to-peer and client-server models. Examples of network, distributed, and real-world distributed systems are also provided.

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Arnav Vikas Garg
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35 views

Network Operating Systems and Design Principles

The document discusses network operating systems and distributed operating systems. It defines network operating systems and describes common types like peer-to-peer and client-server models. Examples of network, distributed, and real-world distributed systems are also provided.

Uploaded by

Arnav Vikas Garg
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEMS

AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES


Unit 6
Network Operating Systems
• A network operating system (NOS) is a computer operating system
(OS) that's designed primarily to support workstations, PCs and, in
some instances, older terminals that are connected on a local area
network (LAN).
• The software behind a NOS enables multiple devices within a network
to communicate and share resources with each other.
• However, a typical NOS no longer exists, as most OSes have built-in
network stacks that support a client-server model.
• A NOS coordinates the activities of multiple computers across a
network. This can include such devices as PCs, printers, file servers
and databases connected to a local network.
• The role of the NOS is to provide basic network services and features
that support multiple input requests simultaneously in a multiuser
environment.
Types of NOS

• Peer-to-peer (P2P) network OSes let users share network resources


saved in a common, accessible location. In this architecture, all
devices are treated equally in terms of functionality. P2P usually
works best for small and medium LANs and is less expensive to set
up compared to the client-server model.

• Client-server network OSes provide users with access to resources


through a server. In this architecture, all functions and applications
are unified under one file server that can be used to execute
individual client actions, regardless of physical location. Client-server
tends to be more expensive than P2P to set up and requires
significant technical maintenance. An advantage of the client-server
model is that the network is controlled centrally, which makes
changes or additions to technology easier to incorporate.
Examples of NOS
• Microsoft Windows Server
• Unix OS
• Cisco Internetwork OS (IOS)
• Junos OS
Distributed Operating System
• A distributed operating system is a system that is stored
on several computers simultaneously. Clients access the
operating system from a server, a mainframe, or a
personal computer.
• A distributed operating system is one in which multiple
computer systems are connected through a single
communication channel.
• Additionally, these systems have separate processors and
memory. In addition, these processors communicate over
high-speed buses or telephone lines.
• These individual systems connected by a single channel
are considered a single entity. We can also call them
loosely coupled systems.
• Each component or system of the network is a node.
Examples of distributed operating
systems
• Solaris
• Micros
• DYNIX
• Mach
• Ubuntu
• Linux
• Locus
• OSF/1
Real-life Example of Distributed Operating System

• Web search
• We Have different web pages, multimedia content, and scanned
documents that we need to search. The purpose of web search is to index
the content of the web. So to help us, we use different search engines like
Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. These search engines use distributed
architecture.

• Banking system
• Suppose there is a bank whose headquarters is in New Delhi. That bank
has branch offices in cities like Ludhiana, Noida, Faridabad, and
Chandigarh. You can operate your bank by going to any of these branches.
How is this possible? It’s because whatever changes you make at one
branch office are reflected at all branches. This is because of the
distributed system.

• Massively multiplayer online games


• Nowadays, you can play online games where you can play games with a
person sitting in another country in a real-time environment. How’s it
possible? It is because of distributed architecture.
Characteristics of Distributed Operating
System
• Resource Sharing
• This system's most important feature is users' ability to share resources. Additionally,
resources can be shared in a safe and controlled manner. Resources can be of any type. For
example, some shared resources are printers, files, data, storage, web pages, etc.
• Concurrency
• This means multiple tasks are executed simultaneously on different system nodes.
Additionally, these tasks can interact with each other. This increases system efficiency.
• Openness
• This means that the services provided by the system are openly mapped through interfaces.
Moreover, these interfaces only provide the syntax for services. For example, function type,
return type, parameters, etc. These interfaces use the Interface Definition Language (IDL).
• Scalability
• This means that as nodes are added to the system, the system’s efficiency remains the
same. Additionally, the performance of a 100-node system should be comparable to that of a
1000-node system.
• Fault Tolerance
• This means that users can continue working with the system in case of hardware or software
failure.
• Transparency
• This is the most important feature of this system. The primary purpose of distributed
operating systems is to hide the fact that resources are shared. Additionally, transparency
means that users are unaware that their resources are being shared. Additionally, the system
should be a separate entity from the user.
Types of Distributed Operating Systems
• Client Server System
In this system, clients request resources from servers. The
server, in turn, makes this resource available to clients. A
client connects to only one of the servers at a time. A single
server can handle multiple clients simultaneously.
Clients and servers connect through a computer network
within the system. Client-server systems are also called
“tightly coupled operating systems.”
This system is primarily intended for multiprocessors and
homogeneous multi-computers. A client-server system acts
as a central server, authorizing all requests issued by client
systems.
Peer-to-peer System
• Nodes play an important role in this system. All work is
evenly distributed among the nodes. Nodes here means
the computer, electronic devices, or workstation.
Additionally, these nodes can share data or resources
depending on your requirements. Again, you need a
network to connect.

• The peer-to-peer system is known as the “loose pairing


system.” This concept is used in computer networking
applications because they contain many processors that
do not share memory or clocks. Each processor has its
local memory, interacting with each other through various
communication methods, such as telephone lines or
high-speed buses.

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