Chapter 1

Definition of a Distributed System (1)
A distributed system is:
A collection of independent
computers that appears to its users
as a single coherent system.
Compiled by Petros H.
Definition of a Distributed System (2)
users
?
1.1
Standard OS
A distributed system organized as middleware.

Note that the middlewareCompiled
layerbyextends
Petros H. over multiple machines.
Goals
• Access and share remote resources
• Interoperability
• Portability
• Flexibility
• Transparency
• Scalability
Transparency in a Distributed System
Transparency Description
Hide differences in data representation and how a
Access
resource is accessed
Location Hide where a resource is located
Migration Hide that a resource may move to another location
Hide that a resource may be moved to another
Relocation
location while in use
Replication Hide that a resource may be replicated
Hide that a resource may be shared by several
Concurrency
competitive users
Failure Hide the failure and recovery of a resource
Hide whether a (software) resource is in memory or
Persistence
on disk
Different forms of transparency in a distributed system.

Scalability
•Size
•Geography
•Administrative organizations
Scalability problems in a distributed system
Concept Example
Centralized services A single server for all users
Centralized data A single on-line telephone book

Centralized algorithms Doing routing based on complete information
Decentralized algorithms characteristics

•None has complete information about the system state
•Machines take decisions on local info
•Failure of one machine doesn’t affect the algorithm
•There is no assumption about a global clock
Scalability
How to solve scalability problems?

a) Hiding communication latencies
• Asynchronous communications (but not only, not always)
b) Distribution
c) Replication (with care for consistency)
Scaling Techniques (1)
1.4
Moving part of the computation to the client…(hiding comm. latency)

The difference between letting:
a) a server or
b) a client
check forms as they are being filled
Scaling Techniques (2)
1.5
Distribution… Replication…
DNS name space divided into zones, with possibility of slave server
Software Concepts
Operating systems for distributed computers
System Description Main Goal
Tightly-coupled operating system for multi- Hide and manage

DOS processors and homogeneous hardware
multicomputers resources
Loosely-coupled operating system for
Offer local services
NOS heterogeneous multicomputers (LAN and
to remote clients
WAN)
Provide
Additional layer atop of NOS implementing
Middleware distribution
general-purpose services
transparency
An overview between
• DOS (Distributed Operating Systems)
• NOS (Network Operating Systems)
• Middleware
Uniprocessor Operating Systems
1.11
Separating applications from operating system code through a microkernel.

Multicomputer Operating Systems (1)
1.14
General structure of a multicomputer operating system

Communication Message
Compiled by Petros H. passing
1.15
Alternatives for blocking and buffering in message passing

• Buffering: sender and receiver side
• 4 possible synchronization points
Reliable communication?
Reliable comm.
Synchronization point Send buffer
guaranteed?
Block sender until buffer not full (S1) Yes Not necessary
Block sender until message sent (S2) No Not necessary
Block sender until message received (S3) No Necessary
Block sender until message delivered (S4) No Necessary
Relation between blocking, buffering, and reliable communications.
Network Operating System (1)
1-19
General structure of a network (not distributed) operating system.

UsersCompiled
see the structure
by Petros H.
Evolution : file server
1-20
Two clients and a file server in a network operating system.

File servers generally maintain hierarchical file system.
1.21
Different clients may mount the servers in different places.

Different clients may have different views of the file systems
With a basic network operating system we loose in
transparency
•Explicit remote login
•Independent accounting
•Independent access permission
•Low protection
Positioning Middleware
1-22
General structure of a distributed system as middleware.

Middleware does not manage an individual node
Middleware Models
•Plan 9 – file oriented paradigm (Unix like)
•Distributed file system – transparency supported only for
traditional files
•Models based on RPCs – hide network communications
•Distributed objects – each object can be located on a single
machine, each object interface hides internal details including
communications
•Distributed documents - WWW
Middleware Services
•Naming allows entities to be shared and looked up.
•Persistence for storage, i.e. databases or facilities to connect to
databases
•Distributed transactions allow multiple read and write
operations to occur atomically.
•Security
•Access transparency by communication facilities hiding
message passing through network
Middleware and Openness
Interfaces definition has to be complete. Incompleteness lead to
bad portability and bad interoperability
1.23
In an open middleware-based distributed system, the protocols

used by each middleware layer should be the same, as well as
the interfaces they offer to applications.
Comparison between Systems
Distributed OS
Network Middleware-
Item
Multiproc. Multicomp. OS based OS
Degree of transparency Very High High Low High
Same OS on all nodes Yes Yes No No
Number of copies of OS 1 N N N
Shared Messages/
Basis for communication Messages Model specific
memory Files
Global, Global,
Resource management Per node Per node
central distributed
Scalability No Moderately Yes Varies
Openness Closed Closed Open Open…
In green open problems are emphasized

Clients and Servers
Client-server model is widely used to understand the complexity of distributed
systems processes
1.25
General interaction between a client and a server.

Request-reply behavior
What kind of protocol for communication?
Clients and Servers
• Connectionless protocol
– Efficient
– Not reliable
• Retransmission on “failure” can be dangerous
• Connection oriented protocol
– Lower performance
– reliable
The three Levels
for client server model
How can we make a distinction between client and server ?
1-28
The general organization of an Internet search engine into three different layers
(we can have this organization on two or more physically distributed machines)
Multitiered Architectures (1)
1-29
Alternative client-server organizations (two-tiered architecture)
Multitiered Architectures (2)
1-30
An example of a server acting as a client( vertical distribution).

Three-tiered architecture
Modern Architectures
Often, clients and servers distribution counts more then different logical components
Request
from
1-31
client
An example of horizontal distribution of a Web service.


Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Definition of a Distributed System (1)

A distributed system is:

A distributed system organized as middleware.

Different forms of transparency in a distributed system.

Scalability problems in a distributed system

Centralized services A single server for all users

Centralized data A single on-line telephone book

Decentralized algorithms characteristics

How to solve scalability problems?

Moving part of the computation to the client…(hiding comm. latency)

Tightly-coupled operating system for multi- Hide and manage

Separating applications from operating system code through a microkernel.

General structure of a multicomputer operating system

Alternatives for blocking and buffering in message passing

Block sender until message sent (S2) No Not necessary

Block sender until message received (S3) No Necessary

Block sender until message delivered (S4) No Necessary

Relation between blocking, buffering, and reliable communications.

General structure of a network (not distributed) operating system.

Two clients and a file server in a network operating system.

Different clients may mount the servers in different places.

•Explicit remote login

•Independent access permission

General structure of a distributed system as middleware.

In an open middleware-based distributed system, the protocols

Degree of transparency Very High High Low High

Same OS on all nodes Yes Yes No No

Openness Closed Closed Open Open…

In green open problems are emphasized

General interaction between a client and a server.

Alternative client-server organizations (two-tiered architecture)

An example of a server acting as a client( vertical distribution).

An example of horizontal distribution of a Web service.

You might also like