05-05-2011, 11:33 AM
Abstract.
Distributed systems provide a framework to take advantage of
the under used computing power of idle machines, and to attempt to
solve problems too difficult for ordinary machines. This paper will
attempt to define distributed computing and demonstrate the strengths,
weaknesses, techniques, and theories behind distributed systems. The
scope will include an introduction and discussion of distributed systems
and a look at two specific systems: ChorusOS and Amoeba.
Section 1: General Overview of Distributed Systems
Introduction
Flynn's taxonomy attempts to categorize computer systems in terms of how they use data, and
how that data is controlled or manipulated. It defines two control streams: SI (single instruction)
and MI (multiple instruction), and two data streams: SD (single data) and MD (multiple data).
Any computer system will have one type of control stream, and one type of data stream:
The focus of this paper will be on distributed systems: those computer systems which use
multiple control streams upon multiple data streams (MIMD). [10] “The category of MIMD
machines is the most diverse of the four classifications in Flynn's taxonomy.” [3]
Distributed systems provide a large amount of computing power by distributing the work load
across smaller, less-capable machines. This means that it is less expensive to build a distributed
system than to create a new autonomous system which can do the same job. This is typically
done with a model called Message Passing in which a program is split into smaller pieces which
can pass information to each other.
Applications of distributed systems include particle physics, bioinformatics, office resource
sharing, visualization & graphics rendering, enterprise management, and embedded systems (like
your cell phone). Some issues concerning the design of distributed systems include fault
tolerance, process scheduling, and security.
Categorization
Distributed systems can be divided into two main categories: homogeneous systems and
heterogeneous systems. These categorizations are based on function within the system, and
sometimes on the types of hardware that make up the system.
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